View allAll Photos Tagged Finalization
Finalizing the glasswork, Mrs. Patterson showing the top view of the flowering shape glass bowl before putting it to the final furnace, annealer to slowly cool the glass, to keeps the glass from cracking or shattering due to thermal stress..
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Patterson Glassworks Studio & Gallery.
Estes Park, Colorado.
The Team:
Raviel (myself)
[Banjax]
John Daniels
Mecharonn
P@UŁ♤
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So the MOCathalon is coming up soon and I need a team. I tagged some builders if they wanted to join on my team. There's really only one thing you need to do before you can actually join on my team - have a MOCpages account. You can't really participate if you do not have a MOCpages account. After all, it is a MOCpages contest. If you aren't tagged and want to join, then show me some of your best system MOCs in an FM. Also, there can only be 5 people on team, and no more than 2 AFOLs on team. So if you do want to join my team, state it quick! It's like first come, first serve. Anyways, thanks for reading and have a good day. :)
Once I get your MP account (if you do not have one, and you make one for this contest, send me a link through FM), I will invite you to the private group.
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Yesterday, I did a band shoot for Ned Durrett and the Kindly Gents. This is a picture of Ned himself.
{three hundred twenty}
...or what to do next? color the little openings or leave open? Same for the bigs ones? Cut it out? Copy it? Arti-stamps? Make a rubber stamp carving? Nothing? :D
Makes me think cell division or amoeba....
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop.
A colossal infernal warship, The Hellbraid, rests like a chained beast in the heart of the Crimson Crucible, a volcanic skyport nestled deep between smoldering obsidian cliffs. The ship's armored hull is forged from blackened steel and etched with glowing ember runes, glowing like molten veins. Its hull merges seamlessly into the scorched metal dock, held by immense lava-hot chain anchors.
The port is alive with infernal industry: mechanical cranes carved with demonic motifs unload cursed munitions; inferno vents hiss with pressurized steam; magma flows through sculpted channels beneath the platforms, casting a flickering red glow on everything above. Towering gantries, wreathed in soot and ash, surround the vessel, their arms braced like skeletal limbs.
Black smoke belches from the Hellbraid’s spires, and its fiery core pulses beneath the deck, lighting the fog with an eerie, hellish heartbeat. Cult-like engineers in ritual armor tend to the ship's systems, while ominous horned statues loom from the edges of the dock, watching like sentinels from another realm.
Above, a storm churns. Below, the depths rumble. The Hellbraid waits—patient, merciless, and ready for war.
Managed to finalize my pattern, but ended up making it just a hair too big, so the second pair of pants (the dark brown) in this picture have little pin tucks on the front (which I actually kind of like). So there will be two options when I put these pants into the shop - Rolled legs or flare legs option.
As I mentioned before, pockets would technically be possible, but then it'd be bulky and I think it would hinder the ability to sit. ^^ So I won't be adding them.
And, also, the pink striped shirt is fully hemmed, but I dunno.. I think I like it better when the sleeves are left alone (like the creamy colored shirt). But maybe it'd look better if I made it a little bit longer before hemming it. Anyway, I'll play around with that some more before I add it.
Tonight when I get home from work I'll post them to the shop. ^o^~
I hope you all like them X3 The girls are really excited to have some clothes (I've had them for a long time but didn't really ever make them anything to wear! Oops! )
"Just when everyone thought that the celebrity line-up was finalized, there is a big surprise announcement! The actor who portrayed the Man of Steel in Superman Returns, Brandon Routh, will be flying in to Metropolis to meet fans during the 33rd annual Superman Celebration June 9-12.
Superman co-chairman Karla Ogle explains that Routh had expressed interest in being a part of the Metropolis Celebration, but was unsure if his current filming schedule would allow him to make the trip. “Once we learned he could indeed travel in early June, we began finalizing the details to add him to our line-up,” Ogle said. “We are so excited that he will be here in Metropolis!”
Prior to Routh's casting as Superman and Clark Kent in the 2006 film, Superman Returns, Warner Bros. had spent over a decade developing a plan to relaunch the franchise with possible stars including actors Nicholas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Ashton Kutcher, Keanu Reeves and Will Smith. When director Bryan Singer came aboard the project, however, he insisted an unknown actor be cast in the part, in the tradition of the casting of the best-known film Superman, Christopher Reeve.
Singer was impressed by Routh’s resemblance to the comic book icon and found the actor's humble mid-western roots perfect for the role. At the age of 24, Routh reminded the director of Christopher Reeve and was recognized for his "combination of vulnerability and confidence".
Routh will be a part of the Celebration activities on Saturday, June 11. Details about his appearance schedule will be announced soon.
In addition to Routh, Metropolis’ most famous son will be sharing the spotlight with Sam Huntington, Alaina Huffman, Mark Pillows and Tracy Roberts.
Since 1996 Sam Huntington has appeared in thirteen feature films and seven television shows. Of these he is perhaps most recognized for his role as the Daily Planet cub reporter, Jimmy Olsen, in Bryan Singer’s 2006 take on the Man of Steel, Superman Returns.
Sam was recently seen as “Eric” in Fanboys, opposite Kristen Bell and Jay Baruchel, and just wrapped production on Dead Of Night where he stars opposite his Superman Returns co-star, Brandon Routh. Sam can been seen on the SyFy channel’s new critically acclaimed hit series Being Human where he plays werewolf/tortured soul “Josh”.
Hunington began his career in the entertainment industry as an actor on stage at the prestigious Peterborough Players in his native New Hampshire where he performed over four season in such roles as "Jem" in To Kill a Mockingbird opposite James Rebhorn.
At the age of 13 he moved to New York where he landed his first feature film, starring alongside Tim Allen and Martin Short in Disney’s Jungle 2 Jungle. Huntington then moved on to such roles as “Jam” in Detroit Rock City, “Ox” in Not Another Teen Movie, and “Dinkadoo Murphy” in Rolling Kansas.Additionally, Sam has made several memorable television guest appearances including Law and Order, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and Veronica Mars.Sam currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Rachel and son, Charlie.
Since 1996 Sam Huntington has appeared in thirteen feature films and seven television shows. Of these he is perhaps most recognized for his role as the Daily Planet cub reporter, Jimmy Olsen, in Bryan Singer’s 2006 take on the Man of Steel, Superman Returns.
Sam was recently seen as “Eric” in Fanboys, opposite Kristen Bell and Jay Baruchel, and just wrapped production on Dead Of Night where he stars opposite his Superman Returns co-star, Brandon Routh. Sam can been seen on the SyFy channel’s new critically acclaimed hit series Being Human where he plays werewolf/tortured soul “Josh”.
Hunington began his career in the entertainment industry as an actor on stage at the prestigious Peterborough Players in his native New Hampshire where he performed over four season in such roles as "Jem" in To Kill a Mockingbird opposite James Rebhorn.
At the age of 13 he moved to New York where he landed his first feature film, starring alongside Tim Allen and Martin Short in Disney’s Jungle 2 Jungle. Huntington then moved on to such roles as “Jam” in Detroit Rock City, “Ox” in Not Another Teen Movie, and “Dinkadoo Murphy” in Rolling Kansas.Additionally, Sam has made several memorable television guest appearances including Law and Order, CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, and Veronica Mars.Sam currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Rachel and son, Charlie."
. . .
"The Superman Celebration is a long standing festival and a must see event for people of all ages, especially comic book lovers. Superman fans travel from all over the globe to visit the small southern Illinois town that is the Official Home of Superman. The real life Metropolis, with a population of 6,500 residents, welcomes approximately 30,000 people over the four-day celebration.
Metropolis features a 15-foot bronze statue of the Man of Steel and a Super Museum located on the town’s Superman Square and a life-size statue of Noel Neill just down the street. There are other interesting super-hero related attractions located throughout the city including a giant rock of kryptonite. " Both excerpts were taken as they appeared at on 12 JUNE 2011.
The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The other is found in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Some primatologists consider the Bwindi population in Uganda may be a separate subspecies,[3] though no description has been finalized. As of September 2016, the estimated number of mountain gorillas remaining is about 880.[4]
Gorilla taxonomy
Mountain gorillas are descendants of ancestral monkeys and apes found in Africa and Arabia during the start of the Oligocene epoch (34-24 million years ago). The fossil record provides evidence of the hominoid primates (apes) found in east Africa about 22–32 million years ago. The fossil record of the area where mountain gorillas live is particularly poor and so its evolutionary history is not clear.[5] It was about 9 million years ago that the group of primates that were to evolve into gorillas split from their common ancestor with humans and chimps; this is when the genus Gorilla emerged. It is not certain what this early relative of the gorilla was, but it is traced back to the early ape Proconsul africanus.[6] Mountain gorillas have been isolated from eastern lowland gorillas for about 400,000 years and these two taxa separated from their western counterparts approximately 2 million years ago.[7] There has been considerable and as yet unresolved debate over the classification of mountain gorillas. The genus was first referenced as Troglodytes in 1847, but renamed to Gorilla in 1852. It was not until 1967 that the taxonomist Colin Groves proposed that all gorillas be regarded as one species (Gorilla gorilla) with three sub-species Gorilla gorilla gorilla (western lowland gorilla), Gorilla gorilla graueri (lowland gorillas found west of the Virungas) and Gorilla gorilla beringei (mountain gorillas including, Gorilla beringei found in the Virungas and Bwindi). In 2003 after a review they were divided into two species (Gorilla gorilla and Gorilla beringei) by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).[5]
Physical description
Silverback of Ntambara group, in typical resting attitude.
The fur of the mountain gorilla, often thicker and longer than that of other gorilla species, enables them to live in colder temperatures.[8] Gorillas can be identified by nose prints unique to each individual.[9] Males, at a mean weight of 195 kg (430 lb) upright standing height of 150 cm (59 in) usually weigh twice as much as the females, at a mean of 100 kg (220 lb) and a height of 130 cm (51 in).[10] This subspecies is on average the second largest species of primate; only the eastern lowland gorilla, the other subspecies of eastern gorilla, is larger.[citation needed] Adult males have more pronounced bony crests on the top and back of their skulls, giving their heads a more conical shape. These crests anchor the powerful temporalis muscles, which attach to the lower jaw (mandible). Adult females also have these crests, but they are less pronounced.[9] Like all gorillas they feature dark brown eyes framed by a black ring around the iris. Adult males are called silverbacks because a saddle of gray or silver-colored hair develops on their backs with age. The hair on their backs is shorter than on most other body parts, and their arm hair is especially long. Fully erect, males reach 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) in height, with an arm span of 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) and weigh 220 kg (490 lb).[11] The tallest silverback recorded was a 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) with an arm span of 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in), a chest of 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), and a weight of 219 kg (483 lb), shot in Alimbongo, northern Kivu in May 1938. There is an unconfirmed record of another individual, shot in 1932, that was 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) and weighed 218.6 kg (482 lb).
The mountain gorilla is primarily terrestrial and quadrupedal. However, it will climb into fruiting trees if the branches can carry its weight, and it is capable of running bipedally up to 6 m (20 ft).[citation needed] Like all great apes other than humans, its arms are longer than its legs. It moves by knuckle-walking (like the common chimpanzee, but unlike the bonobo and both orangutan species), supporting its weight on the backs of its curved fingers rather than its palms.[citation needed]
The mountain gorilla is diurnal, most active between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.[citation needed] Many of these hours are spent eating, as large quantities of food are needed to sustain its massive bulk. It forages in early morning, rests during the late morning and around midday, and in the afternoon it forages again before resting at night. Each gorilla builds a nest from surrounding vegetation to sleep in, constructing a new one every evening. Only infants sleep in the same nest as their mothers. They leave their sleeping sites when the sun rises at around 6 am, except when it is cold and overcast; then they often stay longer in their nests.[12]
Habitat and ecology
Adult male feeding on insects in a rotting tree trunk
The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests and of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200–4,300 metres (7,200–14,100 ft). Most are found on the slopes of three of the dormant volcanoes: Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke.[13] The vegetation is very dense at the bottom of the mountains, becoming more sparse at higher elevations, and the forests where the mountain gorilla lives are often cloudy, misty and cold.[14]
The mountain gorilla is primarily a herbivore; the majority of its diet is composed of the leaves, shoots and stems (85.8%) of 142 plant species. It also feeds on bark (6.9%), roots (3.3%), flowers (2.3%), and fruit (1.7%), as well as small invertebrates. (0.1%).[15] Adult males can eat up to 34 kilograms (75 lb) of vegetation a day, while a female can eat as much as 18 kilograms (40 lb).[citation needed]
The home range size (the area used by one group of gorillas during one year) is influenced by availability of food sources and usually includes several vegetation zones. George Schaller identified ten distinct zones, including: the bamboo forests at 2,200–2,800 metres (7,200–9,200 ft); the Hagenia forests at 2,800–3,400 metres (9,200–11,200 ft); and the giant senecio zone at 3,400–4,300 metres (11,200–14,100 ft).[12] The mountain gorilla spends most of its time in the Hagenia forests, where galium vines are found year-round. All parts of this vine are consumed: leaves, stems, flowers, and berries. It travels to the bamboo forests during the few months of the year fresh shoots are available, and it climbs into subalpine regions to eat the soft centers of giant senecio trees.[13]
Behaviour
Social structure
The mountain gorilla is highly social, and lives in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak.[16] These groups are nonterritorial; the silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory. In the Virunga mountain gorillas, the average length of tenure for a dominant silverback is 4.7 years.[17]
61% of groups are composed of one adult male and a number of females and 36% contain more than one adult male. The remaining gorillas are either lone males or exclusively male groups, usually made up of one mature male and a few younger males.[18] Group sizes vary from five to thirty, with an average of ten individuals. A typical group contains: one dominant silverback, who is the group's undisputed leader; another subordinate silverback (usually a younger brother, half-brother, or even an adult son of the dominant silverback); one or two blackbacks, who act as sentries; three to four sexually mature females, who are ordinarily bonded to the dominant silverback for life; and from three to six juveniles and infants.[19]
Most males, and about 60% of females, leave their natal group. Males leave when they are about 11 years old, and often the separation process is slow: they spend more and more time on the edge of the group until they leave altogether.[20] They may travel alone or with an all-male group for 2–5 years before they can attract females to join them and form a new group. Females typically emigrate when they are about 8 years old, either transferring directly to an established group or beginning a new one with a lone male. Females often transfer to a new group several times before they settle down with a certain silverback male.[21]
The dominant silverback generally determines the movements of the group, leading it to appropriate feeding sites throughout the year. He also mediates conflicts within the group and protects it from external threats.[14] When the group is attacked by humans, leopards, or other gorillas, the silverback will protect them even at the cost of his own life.[22] He is the center of attention during rest sessions, and young animals frequently stay close to him and include him in their games. If a mother dies or leaves the group, the silverback is usually the one who looks after her abandoned offspring, even allowing them to sleep in his nest.[23] Experienced silverbacks are capable of removing poachers' snares from the hands or feet of their group members.[24]
When the silverback dies or is killed by disease, accident, or poachers, the family group may be disrupted.[13] Unless there is an accepted male descendant capable of taking over his position, the group will either split up or adopt an unrelated male. When a new silverback joins the family group, he may kill all of the infants of the dead silverback.[25] Infanticide has not been observed in stable groups.
Analysis of mountain gorilla genomes by whole genome sequencing indicates that a recent decline in their population size has led to extensive inbreeding.[26] As an apparent result, individuals are typically homozygous for 34% of their genome sequence. Furthermore, homozygosity and the expression of deleterious recessive mutations as consequences of inbreeding have likely resulted in the purging of severely deleterious mutations from the population.
Aggression
Although strong and powerful, the mountain gorillas are generally gentle and very shy.[22] Severe aggression is rare in stable groups, but when two mountain gorilla groups meet, the two silverbacks can sometimes engage in a fight to the death, using their canines to cause deep, gaping injuries.[19] For this reason, conflicts are most often resolved by displays and other threat behaviors that are intended to intimidate without becoming physical. The ritualized charge display is unique to gorillas. The entire sequence has nine steps: (1) progressively quickening hooting, (2) symbolic feeding, (3) rising bipedally, (4) throwing vegetation, (5) chest-beating with cupped hands, (6) one leg kick, (7) sideways running four-legged, (8) slapping and tearing vegetation, and (9) thumping the ground with palms .[27] Jill Donisthorpe stated that a male charged at her twice. In both cases the gorilla turned away, when she stood her ground.
Volcanoes National Park (French: Parc National des Volcans) lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), which are covered in rainforest and bamboo. The park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey.
History
Children on a farm near Volcanoes National Park
The park was first gazetted in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Visoke and Mikeno, intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. It was the very first National Park to be created in Africa. Subsequently, in 1929, the borders of the park were extended further into Rwanda and into the Belgian Congo, to form the Albert National Park, a huge area of 8090 km2, run by the Belgian colonial authorities who were in charge of both colonies.[1] In 1958, 700 hectares of the park were cleared for a human settlement.[2]
After the Congo gained independence in 1960, the park was split into two, and upon Rwandan independence in 1962 the new government agreed to maintain the park as a conservation and tourist area, despite the fact that the new republic was already suffering from overpopulation problems. The park was halved in area in 1969.[citation needed] Between 1969 and 1973, 1050 hectares of the park were cleared to grow pyrethrum.[2]
The park later became the base for the American naturalist Dian Fossey to carry out her research into the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Visoke. From then on she spent most of her time in the park, and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. She was murdered by unknown assailants at her home in 1985, a crime often attributed to the poachers she had spent her life fighting against.[3] Fossey's life later was portrayed on the big screen in the film Gorillas in the Mist, named after her autobiography. She is buried in the park in a grave close to the research center, and amongst the gorillas which became her life.
The Volcanoes National Park became a battlefield during the Rwandan Civil War, with the park headquarters being attacked in 1992. The research centre was abandoned, and all tourist activities (including visiting the gorillas) were stopped. They did not resume again until 1999 when the area was deemed to be safe and under control. There have been occasional infiltrations by Rwandan rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in subsequent years, but these are always stopped quickly by the Rwandan army and there is thought to be no threat to tourism in the park.
Flora
Vegetation varies considerably due to the large altitudinal range within the park. There is some lower montane forest (now mainly lost to agriculture). Between 2400 and 2500 m, there is Neoboutonia forest. From 2500 to 3200 m Arundinaria alpina (bamboo) forest occurs, covering about 30% of the park area. From 2600 to 3600 m, mainly on the more humid slopes in the south and west, is Hagenia-Hypericum forest, which covers about 30% of the park. This is one of the largest forests of Hagenia abyssinica. The vegetation from 3500 to 4200 m is characterised by Lobelia wollastonii, L. lanurensis, and Senecio erici-rosenii and covers about 25% of the park. From 4300 to 4500 m grassland occurs. Secondary thicket, meadows, marshes, swamps and small lakes also occur, but their total area is relatively small.
Fauna
The park is best known for the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). Other mammals include: golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti), black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus niger), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). There are also reported to be some elephants in the park, though these are now very rare.[4] There are 178 recorded bird species, with at least 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori Mountains.[5]
Tourism in the park
Young gorilla grabs tourist at Volcanoes National Park
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) runs several activities for tourists, including:[6]
Gorilla visits - as of January 2015, there are ten habituated gorilla groups open to tourists, allowing for a total of 80 permits per day. Tourists report at the park head office by 7:00 for a pre-tracking briefing. Once tourists meet the gorillas they spend an hour with them.
Golden monkey visits.
Climbing of Karisimbi volcano - this is a two-day trek with overnight camping at an altitude of 3,800 m.
Climbing of Bisoke volcano - one day.
Tour of the lakes and caves.
Visiting the tomb of Dian Fossey.
Iby’Iwacu cultural village tour
The majority of revenue from tourism goes towards maintaining the park and conserving the wildlife. The remainder goes to the government and (around 10%)[citation needed] to local projects in the area to help local people benefit from the large revenue stream generated by the park.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop.
Essence
Thoughtbirds are spectral avian entities that manifest from suppressed thoughts, silenced emotions, or unspoken truths. Found predominantly in Whisperhollow, they serve as living echoes of the inner voice — reminders of what was not said, felt, or accepted. They are not hostile, yet their presence is deeply unsettling, for they reflect back what was hidden.
Appearance
Translucent, birdlike forms made of flowing light, memory-smoke, or ambient mist.
Wings flicker with colorless reflections — sometimes mirroring scenes from the viewer’s past.
Some appear fragile and delicate, others more angular or surreal depending on the intensity of the suppressed thought they were born from.
Behavior
They do not make noise, even when flying or landing.
Perch on ruined statues, ledges, or float mid-air in slow spirals.
Appear near those overwhelmed with emotion or burdened by unspoken truths.
Often mimic gestures or tilt their heads in synchrony with observers, like mirrors of thought.
Function & Meaning
Serve as environmental storytelling tools — passive guides or emotional omens.
In some rare cases, multiple Thoughtbirds will circle a person who is near emotional collapse or revelation.
Some believe they are the first stage of becoming a Whisperhollow spirit.
“You won’t hear your regrets speak — but you may see them watching.”
KOM Flash Report
For Week of
November 20—26, 2016
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The finalized Flash Report for next week is posted on Flickr at; www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/30942018931/ Since the release of the preliminary report, a day ago, there has been a sizable amount of updates. Some comments from readers have also been added.
There isn’t likely to be another report for a couple of weeks. Next week begins with the remembrance of two birthdays that occur on November 21. My mother, Ellawee Harrison, was born on that date near Alluwee, Oklahoma in 1914 (hence the name) and Stan Musial was born on that date, six years later in Donora, Pennsylvania. During Stan’’s final years one of his daughters, Janet, shared a photo of the family gathered around for his birthday celebration. After the passing of Stan and Mom we have remembered their birthdays and do so once more.
Mitigating factors against a report next week are two more birthday events and Thanksgiving. One of those birthdays happens to be personal and rather than great celebration it is a time of reflection and understanding there are far more in the past than in the future. And, as I try to think and type at the same time I understand the old Bob Wills tune is apropos, “Time Changes Everything.” Pause, and sing along: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt0lcLRSFQE and if that song doesn’t seem appropriate there is another that comes to mind. If you can get past the nasal voice of Hank Snow, listen to the words they are meaningful. www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5V1pJGymDY That song is analogous of the old KOM leaguers getting back together, like an old love.
An e-mail copy of this report is available, on request.
Photo on the Flickr site:
1949 Carthage Cubs
Front Row : Paul Hoffmeister (P), Ed Garrett (P), Woody Wuethrich (P), Phil Costa,(OF) Bob Speake, (1B) and Art Leslie (P).
Middle Row: Hal Brown (C), Dean Manns (C), Darrell Lorrance (P), Denny Moffitt (P) and Hank Paskiewicz (SS-2B).
Back Row: Glen Walden (P), Don Schmitt (INF OF), John LaPorta (3B), Bob Saban (P), Alan Burger (OF), Frank Morrow (OF) and Don Anderson (2B/ Manager).
Of the foregoing list of players those still living are: Paul Hoffmeister, Phil Costa, Bob Speake, Art Leslie, Hal Brown, Dean Manns, Hank Paskiewicz Don Schmitt and Alan Burger. In that photo are two former big league batboys. They are Edward Franklin Garrett who handled that task for the 1943-46 Cincinnati Reds and John Joseph LaPorta who did likewise for the 1941-43 Chicago Cubs. The following story honors the family of one of those former big league batboys.
I'd give up the six Mickey Mantle rookie cards that I once had to know who those two young men in the grandstand are/were. By now those boys would beat least 82 years old. That photo was taken down the third base line at Carthage Municipal Park. The stands were constructed of native field rock by a WPA project in the 1936-38 era. This Carthage team played against Mickey Mantle and the Independence Yankees.
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Death of a former score keeper and wife of Carthage 3rd baseman.
glueckertfuneralhome.com/obituaries/2016/11/10/angela-lon...
Note from Cindy Lange of Palatine, Ill. “Some sad news, John...My mom, Angie LaPorta, passed away yesterday afternoon. She went so peacefully in hospice care, with a harpist (thanatology... very new to me) playing in rhythm with her breathing. It was very beautiful…and, John, too fuzzy-headed to write more…Take good care and thank you for all you are doing with the former players…Cindy”
Ed comment:
Since 1949 I knew of Angie LaPorta since she was the wife of the late Johnny LaPorta who played 3rd base for the Carthage Cubs in 1949 and part of 1950.
Angie was a young bride and a fixture at all Carthage home games and many of those on the road. Her staple was sitting down in the seats behind the Carthage dugout filling in her scorebook at every game. She even kept the pages of that book for games that were rained out or called due inclement weather before they became official.
If there is one document any baseball historian would cherish it is a scorebook from someone who knew how to fill it out correctly and who would also include anecdotal material such as weather conditions and how bad the umpires were, for example. During Angie’s time at Carthage the official scorer was Fletcher Cupp who was also the sports editor of the Carthage Evening Press. During one game Fletch “went to sleep at the wheel,” so to speak, and missed a play that required the official scorer’s judgment. Following the game he approached Angie and asked if she scored it a hit or error. She said it was a hit and that is the way it went into the official account of that game and that’s how it has stood for the past 66 years and the rest of recorded time as far as baseball is concerned.
After 1950 the LaPorta family never returned to Carthage except for their son who made a special trip there on the way home from a swimming tournament, in Oklahoma, in which his son participated, a couple of years ago. A couple of years after the LaPorta’s left Carthage, Fletcher Cupp did likewise. Some thirty years later Angie purchased an item in a Chicago bookstore on the Loop. Much to her surprise the cashier was Cupp and to his surprise he was engaged in conversation with a scorekeeper of the past.
Vito and Johnny LaPorta lived near Wrigley Field and both became Cub batboys. How near did those guys live to Wrigley Field? Well, the family lived at 3630 Racine Ave. just a block west and a block south of the Cubs lair. This is the neighborhood in 2016. .https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9480263,-87.6591462,3a,75y,282.3h,90t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m4!1sA3prMwFUuOxRP6KJWxaSvA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4b1!6m1!1e1 The time, on a busy day, for the boys to get to work was three minutes if they walked slowly. It was the perfect job for a kid. Vito took the job when he was 16 and Johnny took over when he was 14. By far, Vito worked for the best Cub teams even being a rare Chicago batboy to have been in a World Series.
During the 1938 season, Vito vowed not to cut his hair until the Cubs won the pennant. At the time the old Cub catcher, Gabby Hartnett, was the manager. Later in that season another former catcher, Gabby Street, took over the managerial reigns of the Cubs. The Cubs clinched the pennant in St. Louis and the Chicago Tribune on October 2, 1938 carried a photo of the victorious Cubs celebrating and in the middle of the photo, wearing a Cubs warm-up jacket and a huge smile, was Vito the batboy. Unfortunately, he was wearing a Cubs ball cap. That was too bad in lieu of the Tribune article which stated “The radio announcers and the swarming photographers had their way in the clubhouse. To help out the latter, Gabby Street shaved the hairy head of Vito LaPorta who had announced he never would be shorn until the Cubs won the pennant.”
The Cubs didn’t win the World Series that year but as batboy for the losing team Vito received his world series share which amounted to $500. This is a blurb from the Piqua, Ohio Daily Call for October 13, 1938. “Chicago— Vito La Porta, Cubs' batboy, will use his $500 share of world series money to pay for an appendectomy for his brother.” Of course the appendectomy was for Johnny who was five years younger than Vito who was born in 1921. In fact, Johnny had a twin sister by the name of Lucille. She didn’t follow in the footsteps of her brothers as batboys for the Cubs. Their father, Victor “Vito” Sr. was born in Italy, in 1895, and was a candy maker when Lucille and her brothers were young.
Point to ponder: Had Johnny LaPorta lived he would have been 90-years of age to the day after this report was written. Thus, he had to have been born November 19, 1926. Just a coincidence? I guess.
This is an obituary to honor Angela Longo LaPorta but I wanted to preface it with her role in Cub history. She lived long enough to see the Cubs win a World Series. Exactly seven days later she left us.
Obituary:
glueckertfuneralhome.com/obituaries/2016/11/10/angela-lon... Photo included.
Angela Longo La Porta
Formerly of Arlington Heights
Angela Longo La Porta was born August 9, 1928 in Chicago to Frank and Vivian (nee D’Anna) Longo. She died November 9, 2016 in Journey Care Hospice Care at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights.
Angela was a graduate of Roosevelt High School and later continued her education at Harper College and DeVry Institute, which contributed to her work at AT&T. She was an extraordinary cook, avid gardener, arborist, and enjoyed sewing, crafting, and many other projects. Above all, her kindness and generosity were felt by many.
Angela is survived by her children Cynthia (Wayne) Lange and John (Beth) La Porta; her grandchildren Nicholas Lange, Jennifer La Porta, Emily La Porta, Benjamin Lange and John Anthony La Porta and by her siblings Marie (late Frank) Blanchard, Ellie (Ed) Wilson and Alice (Joe) Sherman.
Angela is preceded in death by her parents; and by her former husband, John Joseph La Porta. (Ed note: John died in June, 1989)
Visitation Sunday, November 13, 2016 from 3:00 PM until 8:00 PM at the Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd ., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, (4 blocks south of Palatine Road) Arlington Heights. Prayers 9:15 AM Monday, November 14, 2016 at Glueckert Funeral Home to St. Theresa Catholic Church, 467 Benton St., Palatine, for mass at 10:00 AM. Interment St. Michael the Archangel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to JourneyCare, 405 Lake Zurich Road, Barrington, IL 60010. Funeral information and condolences www.GlueckertFH.com or (847) 253-0168.
LaPorta family will receive the foregoing article
Subsequent to releasing the preliminary Flash Report this request was received.
The beautiful tribute you wrote for my mom went somewhere in the new format for Comcast. I was trying to forward it to family, and it's not cooperating.. When you have time, would you please resend that e-mail? It was wonderful! Thank you soooo much, especially since my mom's obituary seems like a terrible rough draft…Thank you!!! Sincerely, Cindy
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Death of one of the guys with shortest KOM career
It was the summer of 1998 and over 400 people gathered in Carthage, Missouri for the largest assemblage of former KOM leaguers, ever. In that group were men who played at every level of professional baseball, including the major leagues. In two countries. Each had a story to tell and others did but didn’t think so.
For three nights, at each banquet, a different former player was introduced. With each introduction Yours truly had a brief anecdote to share. It was the second night of the event and when introducing a former Iola Indian the comment was “Ladies and gentleman, this guy, has spent more time at this reunion than he did in his KOM career.” The gentleman arose and told his story. In his first game he was sent into the game as a pinch runner. Before the first pitch, manager Floyd Temple flashed the bunt sign. When he broke for second he slipped and scurried back to first base. When he arose from the ground and dusted himself off he looked to Temple again who flashed the steal sign once more. The runner had an idea that wouldn’t work for the catcher would pitch out. That is exactly what happened and he was thrown out, easily at second.
Early the next morning the hard luck baserunner was summoned to team owner, Earl Sifers office and handed his release. His KOM career didn’t even get him in the record books but earned in a spot in the lore of the old league.
April 29, 1952 Iola Register stated: “Manager Floyd Temple announced the signing of three additional players, resulting in a 17-man squad for the trip; The three are Norman Travis of Stratton, Colo., who has been training here while unsigned, Ernie Chastain of Algona, Iowa, infielder-outfielder who reported in from the Duluth, Minn., club that has been training at Pittsburg (KS), and Don Ripley, catcher from Nova Scotia, Canada. Another player who may be added is Gasper Del Toro, infielder-outfielder who played at Miami last year. “
In the news article were names of four guys only two of which ever made it in a box score. Travis was there for about eight before going back to Colorado without cracking the lineup and Ripley also went back to Nova Scotia without getting his big toe wet in KOM baseball. Gaspar Del Toro played in 125 games that year. So, by process of elimination you know that the one-game wonder for the Iola Indians was Ernie Chastain.
On November 16 this note was received from baseball necrologist, Jack Morris. “Hi John,
You may have seen this obituary already-http://legacy.newsok.com/obituaries/oklahoman/obituary.aspx?n=ERNEST-CHASTAIN&pid=182550160
I don’t think I’m making a big leap of faith that the Ernest Chastain in the obituary is the Ernest Chastain from the 1952 Iola Indians, am I?”
Mr. Morris was informed that it wasn’t a big leap of faith to make that assumption.
Here is the entire text of Ernie Chastain’s obituary:
August 19, 1931 - November 11, 2016 OKLAHOMA CITY Ernie Chastain (Ed note: Middle name was Louis) was born in Red Oak, Iowa, in 1931, to Ernest Chastain Sr. and Nora Spicer Chastain. He passed away November 11 at St. Ann's Nursing Home in Oklahoma City.
He grew up in Joplin, Missouri and graduated from Joplin High School where he played baseball and basketball. He married Darlene Erdman in 1951. She was a wonderful, supportive wife and mother. They were married for 57 happy years until she passed away in 2008. They lived in Miami, Oklahoma, for 15 years where he worked for BF Goodrich.
Ernie played minor league baseball for a short time and enjoyed officiating and coaching sports, mainly for his kids. They had 3 children, Steve, David and Cheryl. They later moved to Oklahoma City where he worked in the credit union business until retirement. After Darlene passed away, Ernie married Ruth Schmitz. They were married for over 5 years. Ruth was a faithful loving wife and was always by his side, making his last years happy.
Ernie dedicated his life to church and community service, primarily as a member of the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men's charitable and fraternal organization. He served as a Grand Knight and State Deputy and held many other council and state offices. Ernie's strong Catholic faith sustained him throughout his life. He was one of the founders of the Center of Family Love in Okarche, a facility for the adult intellectually disabled, and served for many years on the board. Ernie received the Harold Wittrock Humanitarian Award in 2016 for his many years of service to the center and, in 2009, he received the KWTV Oklahoma Hero of the Year Award for his work with the disabled. He enjoyed watching baseball, the Thunder, and anything OSU. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Darlene, and his sisters, Bernice Force and Marjorie Jones Stapleton. He is survived by his wife, Ruth, of OKC; son, Steve and his wife Priscilla of OKC; son, David and his wife Susan of Stillwater; daughter, Cheryl Jones and her husband Scott of Stillwater; 9 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren, and Ruth's 7 children. There will be an evening prayer service 7 p.m. Thursday, November 17, and the Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday, November 18. Both liturgies will be held at St. Eugene Catholic Church, 2400 W. Hefner Rd., Oklahoma City, OK 73120. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Ernie's memory to: The Center of Family Love, PO Box 245, Okarche, OK 73762 (www.centeroffamilylove.org) or to St. Eugene Catholic Church (www.steugenes.org). The family would like to thank the staff at St. Ann's for their compassionate care of Ernie.
Published in The Oklahoman on Nov. 16, 2016
Ed comment:
From 1998 through his remaining years I was in contact with Chastain up to the time he entered the nursing home. Our contact was primarily by e-mail and he kept up with the news of guys with whom he had played local baseball at Joplin and Miami, OK, when playing for the B. F. Goodrich company team, with and against guys such as: Bruce Swango. Johnny LaFalier, Ray, Roy, and Max Mantle along with a number of the Boyer brothers. If you never heard of Swango, look him up: www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&am...
Chastain played on some top caliber American Legion teams in Joplin, in the late 1940’s, that was sponsored by Dan Stanley Ford. He gave me an original 8 X 10 photo of the 1948 team that basically comprised the 1949 Joplin High School baseball team and that photo was used in the school’s yearbook which was Chastain’s graduation year. He was also an excellent basketball player during his varsity years at Joplin, coached by legendary, Russ Kaminsky. He missed by one year of playing on a Missouri state high school championship team. In 1950 Joplin posted a 21-3 record and beating a team from St. Louis (Kirkwood) to secure the title. One of the stars of the baseball and basketball teams with whom Chastain played was Duffy Harbaugh. Chastain had high regard for Harbaugh who later signed with the Yankees minor league system. He tired of the grind and quit baseball. However, when the “big” games were played, in the area, with the Boyers vs. the Mantle’s, Harbaugh was usually the gamess leading hitter. That included Kenny Boyer, Mickey Mantle, Gene Stephens and many more.
Chastain returned to Iowa for a while after graduating from Joplin High School and worked for a place in Sioux City called “Bucks Booterie.” A number of former athletes worked there in the off-season. I know of another former KOM leaguer, Duane Zimmer, who worked there after the 1950 season and even used the letterhead of Bucks to send messages to his friends in Carthage.
When Chastain reported to Iola the newspaper listed him as being from Algona, Iowa and the Iolans probably didn’t ever know that he had spent most of his youth living in nearby Joplin, Missouri. But, if they read this report they’ll know it as well as learning that Ernie Chastain lived a productive life and being thrown out at second base, in his only KOM appearance, was just on blip on the radar screen of life.
Final comment:
This note is for Norm Travis who still receives these reports. If you remember Ernie Chastain I’m going to award you the “Reader of the Week” award. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Travis, other than what you saw earlier in this report, he was one of four young hopefuls sent to Iola, in 1952 by Bob Howsam of the Denver Bears. The others were; Victor Damon, Jerry Gleason and Chuck Sisson.
Second final comment:
Norm Travis did read the preliminary report and sent this note: “Yes I do remember Ernie Chastain, a little 2nd basemen. I have added to the comment section after your report for the week, 11/20—11/26. Thanks, Norm Travis.”
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Old Cub pitchers…do they really care?
In the last issue it was mentioned that contact had been reestablished with Joe Stanka. At one time in his career, the former Dodger signee was in the Chicago Cub organization. There he got to know and become friends with Paul Hoffmeister (as seen in the photo for this report.) Over the years Mary Lou Hoffmeister and Jean Stanka have kept in touch. This was a note received from Mary Lou this week. “Jean Stanka called this morning . Was great to hear from her. She said that Joe wasn't interested in baseball anymore. I think that I was more excited about Cubs than Paul was. Happy Thanksgiving! Mary Lou.”
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The passing of Eddie Carnett grabbed the news cycle
From free-lance writer, Greg Echlin in Kansas City came the following. “John, I thought you might enjoy this. Please pass it along.”
echlinsports.com/election-day-memorial-service-held-for-b...
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From a writer for the Columbia, Mo. Tribune came this note: “The name of Carl Miles popped up as living in Trenton, Mo., and was the 2nd oldest ex-major leaguer. (Ed note: That was shared in a Flash Report from April 2016. Things dos change rapidly.)
I assume this is the same Carl Miles who graduated from MU in 1940(?) after three years as MU’s leading pitcher. He died earlier this year in Florida after living several years in retirement in Columbia before moving to Florida.
He signed with the Athletics upon graduation, but, I didn’t find him in the Baseball Encyclopedia I think he entered the Service.
His brother still lives here. Jack Miles was the executive director of the Missouri Stat High School Athletic Assn. (MSHAA) for over 20 years. Not sure if he has a land line anymore. Jack was taken into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame last year.
I’ve written two columns about Carl Miles not being in the MU Athletic Hall of Fame, but no one cares about the old guys today. Carl should be joined by RHP Frank Graham who graduated from here in 1942. He and Carl made MU the best of the Big Six (Conference) for 5 years. Carl may have lived in Trenton, but not lately.” Bill Clark (Better known as Ole’ Clark and featured at this site. www.columbiatribune.com/users/profile/bclark/ )
Ed comment:
Carl Miles did appear in two games for the Philadelphia A’s, in 1940, and posted a 13.50 ERA. In his total of eight innings, on the mound, he gave up nine hits, 12 runs of all of which were earned. On top of those hits he also walked eight batters. Two guys managed to hit homers off him.
That brief stint, in the big leagues, earned him a shot in Class B in 1941, 1942 and 1944. He stayed with the Philadelphia organization until 1944 when the Brooklyn Dodgers signed him to pitch and switch hit. He fared better as a hitter than he did on the mound. In fact, he was a .750 (3-4) hitter for the 1940 Philadelphia A’s and hit .284 for the Trenton franchise in 1944 The guy may have been miscast.
Reader comment:
To prove nothing gets by the readership of this report a note was received from Bob Moore, regarding Frank Graham, mentioned in Clark’s article.
Hi John. Just a quick note wishing a Happy Thanksgiving for you & yours. I do enjoy your weekly reports & was glad to see a brief mention of a long time friend, Frank Graham. While I had known Frank for most of my life, my sports connection was only Church League softball. Frank was still playing in his 70's, sometimes with the benefit of a pinch runner..... Old ball players don't like to slow down!!! He was no doubt a great ball player, but missed the KOM connection I guess.
Frank lived in the Columbia for big part of adult life. I last visited with him at his home in SW Columbia and in the "Neighborhood" before his death. His obit tells more than I can. He was a member of Midway Locust Grove UMC, & was friends with my folks (& many others) as result of his church & neighborhood activities. In addition to his baseball & 4-H career, he was just a fine gentleman to be around.
www.columbiatribune.com/obituaries/frank-graham/article_5...
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The conclusion:
Once again another report has reached its merciful conclusion. On a regular basis the readership is informed they don’t have to receive this “Forced Fun for Free.” I’m an old guy who has run up that long hill of Class D baseball with many of the heroes from my youth. That started when Harry Truman was friends with a couple of owners of KOM league teams. So, many of the former players have ascended that hill and gone to the other side just as have the former owners and their friend Harry. If you are now tired of reading about the memories of baseball players from seven decades ago and the manner in which they are presented just let the guy who sends them your way know. There is still enough gasoline in the tank and brain cells left to figure out how to delete names from the distribution list. Happy Thanksgiving!!! We have so much for which to be thankful.
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Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
Bathed in divine flame and cloaked in cosmic shadow, The Solar Herald emerges at the brink of annihilation and rebirth. Suspended between ruptured worlds, this celestial being channels the raw energy of a dying sun — a force both ancient and transcendent.
A golden sigil radiates behind him, etched with primordial runes that pulse with forgotten knowledge. His eyes are voids of stars; his hands hold the weight of cosmic balance — one gripped with creation’s spark, the other with entropy’s pull.
The embodiment of divine reckoning. The voice of the stars before silence.
Inspired by and Reimagined
Another finalized-for-print version for friend/client ..
Setup and shooting is just the same way in the other images from the session.
Included Stacked towels for the effect and composition.:)
P.S: Still fishing time to visit your streams.. please excuse me if you dont see me on your pages..:)
Edit: Delay Explored: Highest position: 313 on Saturday, January 17, 2009
So today, I thought I would buy my train ticket for Kurseong, finalize my tea purchases, mail my last packages, and maybe take the train to Ghoom and walk back. I later found out this was a little too ambitious.
The day started out slow and didn't leave the guesthouse until 11. I stopped by Goodricke tea to make sure I wasn't getting ripped off at Nathmull's. I had now tried two teas at Goodricke, and either they don't know how to brew tea, are skimping on the amount of tea, or have really crappy water because I haven't liked either tea I tried there.
I resigned myself to the fact that Nathmull's is the place for me. I tried two more teas today. The Pussimbing autumn and Pussimbing spider. The spider was wintergreen tasting to me (my least favorite mint). The autumn was a little sweet and spicy. I had never tried an autumn flush before. When I finally purchased my teas, the owner gave me a 5% discount since I had been in there every day for about a week.
The next thing I needed to do was mail the rest of my packages. I walked to the post office but arrived at around 2:15, shortly after they had come back from lunch. There were 2 other people ahead of me in line plus the man wrapping the packages had two candle waxing jobs to finish. There was a woman from France that was first in line and then a woman from Finland.
The woman from Finland had 5 months off. She was nearing the end of her trip. I guess you get a sabbatical after you've been with a company for over 10 years in Finland. She was traveling all around India. We both had the same sort of feeling in that this country kind of changes you. She said she had been to two weddings and a funeral. Then just recently a ceremony for cutting a three year old boy's hair. There is a sense of community and family here. It's something that the western cultures have definitely lost.
I thought the post office closed at 4 but it was 3. Well, I at least got the wrapping portion done. Tomorrow, I can show up at 9 or 9:30 and pay to mail it. Just as he was finishing up my package, it started pouring rain with thunder and lightening. I would have to walk back to the guesthouse with the package and keep it dry. I had an umbrella and my rain jacket but it was really coming down. As I was waiting for the rain to slow, the power went out. Ok, I headed out.
By the time I got back, my pants from the knees down were completely drenched. The package and my bag stayed dry which was the most important. I'm thinking of going to Kalimpong tomorrow. We'll see if I can get a shared taxi early enough in the morning after I go to the post office.
I actually was hungry when I got back. I put on warm clothes and I headed out to eat. Frank Ross cafe keeps drawing me back. I had two orders of momo's and the masala dosa plus my masala tea. It seemed like the sky was clearing. I was looking for a place to watch the sunset and maybe get a pot of tea and hang out. Next thing you knew, I found myself at the Windamere Hotel. It was one of those British era places. There were two rooms to choose from either the bar area or sitting room with a fireplace. I choose the fireplace room. There was a woman in the room already. I think she was reading. We ended up chatting for about 1-2 hours. She had been in southern India doing photography for a group of at-risk children. She had quit her last job of 18 months. She didn't want to do it anymore and got this opportunity to do something she loved, photography. She is travelling through the end of May, sorting out her living situation, and then planning to do photography for a career. Why is everyone I meet here in some sort of transition?
I told her what I have been up to since I've been here. She wants to go to Sikkim and even has her permits, but can't decide which trekking group to go with. She said one guy she talked to tried to sexually harass her. She's like, you think I'm going with them? I gave her Pasang's contact info so she could contact him. She might be able to go with Allison's family in a few days if the timing works out.
We both talked about how easy it was to do nothing in Darjeeling. That also seems like a common thread amongst travelers. She said we should keep in touch and maybe meet up in the evening after our explorations tomorrow--she was going to Ghoom and I was going to Kalimpong. We exchanged emails.
Roadtrip to Kalimpong!
I actually woke up before 5 and saw a gorgeous sunrise. Then got out of bed for real at 7. It looked like it was going to be nice out today. I left just after 9 and got to the post office at 9:30. There was no line and I mailed the package and got my receipt. Next I walked to the shared taxi stand. Apparently for Kalimpong there is a slightly different set-up. Instead of paying the driver, you go to the booth, pay, and then get a receipt. You show that to the driver before getting on. My taxi was awaiting only one other person after I got on, so we left shortly after 10. This was the first time I had ever ridden in the last row of the vehicle. I thought it might be extra bumpy, but it wasn't. There was a woman with about a 6-9 month old baby next to me. Then I also noticed a couple that didn't want to be separated. They were probably in their late 40's or early 50's. They sat in front of me. We climbed up the hill quite a way. I noticed a sign at elevation of 6800 ft. Then we climbed down quite a way to Teesta. There were many tea plantations on the way down. We saw women in the fields picking two leaves and a bud. Teesta also boasts the river. It was really running fast. Apparently white water rafting on this river is popular. I saw several rapids and the water was a dull green color. The man in front of me that had his arm around his wife mentioned something to the driver. I assumed there would be a bathroom break. This was not the case. When we crossed over the Teesta River to the other side, the driver stopped in the middle of the bridge. Both the husband and wife got out. It looked like they were praying. The woman had a small bag with her. She threw whatever was in the bag into the river. The ceremony was short and they were back in the taxi. She was crying. I teared up as well. Her husband comforted her. All I can assume is that there were ashes in that bag. We continued on.
We arrived in Kalimpong. It was Wednesday and market day. The town's street was so narrow and all the people walking around made it slow going. I was hungry so I went to the Gompa Hotel and restaurant. I had a veggy chowmein. I walked around the town and again I felt too much stimulation. There was so much going on and a lot of traffic. I thought there would be a separate market area but it was all encompassing in the middle of the busy downtown area. There were some good views to be had, but I couldn't figure out where they would be. I walked back towards the downtown. I figured out where I was on the map. Then I went to the Silver Oak Hotel. This was a grand English manor house. It definitely took you back to the colonial era. The hotel staff even dressed the part. The lounging area had hard wood floors and beautiful carpets. There were lamps on tables and comfortable chairs all around. I asked if I could get a pot of tea and sit outside. They had a fabulous garden and the view was finally what I had been looking for. Had the skies been just a little clearer you would have been able to see Kachenjunga from here. I was glad to be away from the traffic and people. It was just over two hours drive to get to Kalimpong and I didn't want to hear horns beeping again for a awhile. When you order a pot of tea anywhere around India, you always get a couple of cookies. I like that.
I hung out for about 1 1/2 hours or maybe 2. The sun was out today and believe it or not, I had dressed too warm and had to take some layers off. I had read in Lonely Planet about a small paper factory near this hotel. I asked about it and they pointed me in the right direction.
It would never be easy to find this place unless I kept asking people. The young school girls kept laughing at me. Then they finally showed me the way. You had to walk down these very steep steps. Afterwards, you had to know which building because there was no sign. I walked in the door. They said come. I smelled this damp, wet paper smell. I don't even know how to describe it. There were all sorts of brightly colored papers drying, hanging from the ceiling. I was led to another room for retail sales. They had all sorts of hand made paper in different sizes, colors, and patterns. They also sold lanterns, diaries, stationery, envelopes, etc. I bought a lantern for my homestay family in Kurseong. Then I also bought 10 pieces of paper with hand made designs that were approximately 4 x 6 inches. The lantern came in this beautiful had made paper briefcase. Thank goodness for that since I still had a taxi ride today and a train ride tomorrow. Without the carrying case, it would have definitely broken in two.
Now that I spent a little time at the store, I was ready to get out of town. It was just after 4. I had been told that you really need to get out of town by 5 because after that you won't be able to find a shared taxi.
I asked around at a couple of places and they said I needed to go to the Darjeeling Syndicate. Like I was really supposed to know what that meant or where it was? Everyone just pointed down the hill. So I walked a little and asked again. I did that about 3 times. Finally someone actually said, it's in the building next to the hotel. So I asked for a shared taxi to Darjeeling and they had me follow them to the taxi. This one again was pretty full. After I got in, we waited for one other person and we were off.
The ride again was beautiful. I wanted to stop so many times to get out of the car and take pictures. We did stop about 1 hour into the two hour drive for about 10 minutes. I chatted with a man from Germany that was traveling around India with a couple from Hyderabad. They were staying in Darjeeling too and came to Kalimpong for the day. About 10 minutes after we started up again, we stopped. There was a woman selling carrots and beets on the side of the road. The driver got some. Then it seemed like everyone else in the car wanted some too.
Another interesting thing about these taxi cabs is that before you start the drive, the driver gets small envelopes, packages, and bags. He acts as a courier, and drops things off along the way.
Just like on the way back from Rimbick, we stopped at the same gas station before hitting Darjeeling. They dropped us off at the train station. I thought there might be a chance it was open and I could buy my train ticket to Kurseong for tomorrow, but it was closed. So I just walked up the hill. I'm getting good at walking the hill now and don't need to stop and catch my breathe. 7000 ft of elevation is nothing.
I got back at 7 and got an email from Katherine that she was planning dinner at the Park Restaurant. It sounded like she was there now. She had taken the train to Ghoom with a Romanian women she met. When I got to the restarant, there was also a guy I had chatted with at Frank Ross sitting with them. He was Quentin from New Zealand. They were all at various stages of dinner. I ordered Pad Thai as it was a Thai place. We ate and chatted. I was starving so I wolfed down my meal. Then the Romanian women left. We went to Joey's Pub but it was too crowded so we went to the Buzz.
There are always plenty of seats at the Buzz. We sat down and split two beers between the three of us. Katherine was buying. We heard about Katherine's excellent housing situation when she gets back. She will be leasing a furnished place one tube stop from Wimbledon. And the owners of the place will be gone for the entire time she is there. Sweet! Quentin will be traveling to the UK from India to visit his family that lives there. He was excited to see them as they had moved away from New Zealand several years ago.
We all talked about being westerners here in India and how it made us feel. I could constantly feel people adding up the costs of things I was spending my money on. I said it bothered me because many people's wages are low here. I was buying things that may have been several times their yearly wages. So I am glad I mailed the things I bought and don't have to carry it around with me. Also people sometimes are just so curious about what we are doing here and want you to come to their homes and are really generous. Others stare at you and want to be in pictures with you. Then there are others that want to take advantage and get as much as they can from you (mostly shopkeepers, taxi drivers). I don't blame them to be honest!
The other thing we talked about is the garbage issue. I said I couldn't figure out why people are constantly sweeping their homes, shops, businesses, yet they throw their garbage out the windows of vehicles, in the streets, in natural places out doors. I think they were trying to explain to me that in India personal space is very important to people and they want to keep it clean. Outside that personal space, they don't care as much. It's almost impossible to think of how the refuse would even be disposed of if the country had a concerted effort to try.
We hung out until 10:30, although I don't know why we didn't get kicked out sooner. Last call was at 9:30 and I thought the place closed at 10. When I got back to my guesthouse they said they were waiting for me and wondered where I was. I felt bad. I mean it's a small place of five rooms, but I didn't know I had a curfew.
Done in ai, Finalized in Photoshop and Photoscape X.
The air tasted wrong.
Not poisoned — not dead — but ancient in a way that remembered you.
Before him, the Echozone opened like a wound stitched with starlight and memory.
Reality frayed at the edges. Time blinked. Magic curled like smoke. Logic gave up.
Kaelis took one breath.
The egg pulsed in his hand — not guiding him, but acknowledging.
He stepped through.
Behind him, a world burned.
Ahead of him, one waited to remember.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
Bathed in shadows and crowned in arcane fire, the Umbral Arcanist walks the scorched remnants of forgotten empires. His staff, crowned with a screaming skull, channels the raw energy of the Nether Veil — a realm torn between life and unlife. Eyes aglow with infernal power, he weaves spells of entropy and time, unraveling the threads of destiny. Robes of deepest black trimmed in obsidian runes sway with every step, while veins of violet magic pulse through the sigils on his armor.
He is not a king, nor god, but something older — a whisper before the first spell was spoken.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop and Photoscape X
Unleashing fury from the shadows, The Wraith Engine roars to life with searing precision. Born from obsidian steel and vengeance, this gothic iteration of the Batmobile blazes across cracked, rain-slicked streets, its silhouette a fusion of fear and elegance. Twin headlights glare like molten eyes, casting fiery trails in the mist as sparks explode beneath its wheels, ignited by a violent burst of energy in its wake.
Jagged fins and armor plating slice through the air like predatory wings, while a storm of light surges behind it—an eruption of power marking the arrival of Gotham’s dark guardian. This is no mere vehicle. It’s a myth forged in chrome and wrath, a spectral beast bound to justice, and hell-bent on vengeance. Wherever it drives, silence follows. And then the reckoning.
NoLA Rising is making a call for art for It’s Yours, Take It - NEW ORLEANS 7www.flickr.com/groups/itsyourstakeit/discuss/721576451670...
NoLA Rising has a long history of distributing artwork at no cost to the New Orleans area. For the seventh installment of New Orleans’ It’s Yours, Take it, Rex would yet again like to continue the practice of a holiday art swap. For the seventh event we are holding in December, artwork will be created and sent in for a toy for art swap to raise toys for the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and similar programs in the New Orleans area.
The premise is simple: Someone brings a brand new toy in a box to donate to children and they get to take a piece of art with them. The toys are then donated to programs for their annual holiday distribution.
In 2012, we had a great presence and there were so many toys that we filled up a truck that the Marines took back to their distribution site.
Our Artists in Arms at SSOSVA ( The Secret Society of Super Villain Artists) are joining forces with NoLA Rising in support of this year's IYTI. The Secret Society of Super Villain Artists was founded in 1921 by Silent Bill. Everything else remains secret.This year, the work deadline will be Monday, November 24th, 2014.
If you're local to the New Orleans area, we will be available at Tracey's Bar every Friday of November from 4-7 where artists can drop off artwork and have a tasty beverage. Tracey's is located in the Irish Channel at 2604 Magazine Street. For more information on Tracey's, you can find it here: traceysnola.com/
For those who have scheduling conflicts with dropping off at Tracey’s, 45 Tchoup, located at 4529 Tchoupitoulas (across from Rouse’s) has offered to also be a receiving site for artwork. They are open at 12 noon until late. For more information on 45 Tchoup, click here: www.facebook.com/groups/170671802466/
We are holding the event Sunday, December 7th at GASA GASA at 4920 Freret Street, from 12-6 pm. Music for the evening will be determined by their booking office. THE SAINTS GAME WILL BE PLAYED DURING THE EVENT. For more information on GASA GASA here: www.gasagasa.com/
Organizations or businesses that would like to get involved, please let us know how we can work together to make a successful event.Anyone interested, pls add your name and any questions you can email me at:[ nolarising504 @ gmail.com ] .
The current mailing address is somewhere more reliable than my city address (location, location) and can send to the below address (or contact Rex directly for local address or arrangements):
Rex Dingler / IYTI
39280 Traino Landing Road
Ponchatoula, LA 70454
USA
NoLA Rising is a 501(c)3 and can issue a donation letter to artists who indicate a value to their donated pieces for tax purposes. Please ensure actual value - in writing detailing artist, mailing address, piece name and estimated value.
Again, huge thanks to everyone who’s helped make this an amazing event every year we've done it. Me and the folks at NoLA Rising appreciate all your hard work and effort and your continued support of the people of New Orleans!
Salutations and gratitude go out to Joule Energy, Ecopro Solar and Apptitude for their assistance in helping us plan to make this year's exchange a success.
Thanks again and remember:
THE REVOLUTION IS YOU!
Rex
For more Information on past events:
2012: www.flickr.com/photos/nolarisingproject/sets/721576319933..
News Coverage on previous IYTI in New Orleanswww.youtube.com/watch?v=JTpppXjYwpg&feature=related
For more information on NoLA Rising: www.nolarising.org
Current artists pledged to participate at posting: IYTI 2014 Artists:
Priest / El Celso / Silen T Bill / Starhead / Ebenholz / Jeremy Novy / Cherie Melancon Franz / Melba Brady / Anthony Posey / Jade Kozlowski-Goetz / Roberta Carrow-Jackson / Diane Millsap / Anabelle Franz / Scott Moseley / Mardi Claw / Crista Rock / Terry Marks Sr. / Emily Macafore / Pat Jolly / Melissa Levine / Jaxiejax / Lesley Nash / Mr. Burning / Charles Anderson / Sarah Rosedahl / Rex Dingler / Cris Silva / Jacque Davis / Thinkerella’s ThinkerKids / Scott Allen / SSOSVA / James Dingler / Claire Levine / Rumple Stiltskin / Udown Mad Matze / Simon Birkhead / Pauli Bates / Badcock Jones / Steven Hartley / Mary Brown / El Bev / Rick Moore / Amy Loewy / Jared Howerton Photography / Elle Greene / Swamp DeVille / Francis Wong / Carol Farnum / Sammo / Sherrie Thai (Shaire Productions) / Tamara / Becky Nash / Ink Dude / AZ / Margaret Coble / Art87JR / Saint Nick / Sina Evans / Swamp Deville / Brian Lauzon / Tansy Myer / Curly / Ken Kenan / Scott Nash / Lee Hoffman / Angela Pate / Nana Ofia / Chuck R. Wright / Austin Nash / Heather Dickens / Kendra Bonga / Ren J. Buidhe / Mary DiPasquale Burns /
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop and Photoscape X
Scourge of the Rift-Chambers • Ash-Wrought Sovereign • Flame Without Mercy
Beneath the broken crust of a dead world—buried in magma-choked catacombs where even the light of stars cannot reach—Volkraeth waits.
He was once a guardian of the Forgeflesh Choir, a biomechanical order built not by mortals, but by celestial architects who carved thought into steel and stoked their creations with the hearts of stars. Volkraeth was the first and last of their line: a king forged in fire, crowned in code, and burned into memory.
Now, he is flame incarnate. His skeletal frame—cast in blackened exo-alloy and obsidian bone—bleeds molten light from every fracture. Within his hollow ribs churns the Pyre-Core, a fragment of the dying sun that fueled his awakening. His voice is a rasping inferno; his gaze, twin furnaces of judgment. None who have stood before him have left unburned.
Volkraeth rules the Lost Depths, a labyrinthine furnace-realm of collapsed vaults and molten engines. There, forgotten relics of pre-galactic empires melt under his watchful gaze. It is said that even time burns differently in his presence — slowed by dread, scorched by memory.
Many believe Volkraeth sleeps, that his fire has faded. But the stone remembers. The embers drift still. And when the stars align once more with the Fault-Line Gates, the Cinder-King shall rise — not to conquer, but to reduce all that endures to ash.
Done in AI, Finalized in Photoshop.
This Lichkin wasn’t born from bone or summoned from crypt-dust.
It was stitched together by a grieving necromancer, who tried to bring back his lost child — but instead gave rise to something far worse: a soul-hungry effigy, wrapped in midnight cloth and crowned in bone.
It walks like a toy. It kills like a curse.
Beneath its robe hang tiny skulls and bronze bells, enchanted to chime only when someone is lying. Its purple-glowing eyes see truth, death, and the places where people hide their regrets. It doesn't speak — but its presence makes children cry and graves crack open.
Abilities:
Stitchbind: Wraps thread around a target’s limbs to immobilize or puppeteer them.
Jingle of Judgment: The bells reveal lies, shame, or hidden sin.
Soul Button: Keeps the souls it captures in stitched buttons hidden under its cloak.
Deathgrin: When it smiles, weak-willed foes hallucinate visions of their own death.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop.
In the vast silence between galaxies, where forgotten stars burn in exile, she reigns—Virelya, the Masked Empress of the Starborn Veil. Her presence bends the ether like a black sun cloaked in violet flame. Shrouded in robes woven from collapsed constellations, she stands eternal before the swirling eye of a living nebula, her throne invisible, her dominion unchallenged.
Her mask, forged from ancient voidsteel and threaded with obsidian starlight, bears the markings of a thousand dead civilizations. Twisting horns arc skyward, sculpted like cosmic branches, and her eyes burn with nebular fire—gazing not at you, but through time itself. Virelya speaks rarely, but when she does, her voice echoes across dimensions like the last note of a dying star.
She is the keeper of exiled knowledge, a judge of dying worlds, and the last whisper of creation before the long sleep. Worshipped by the forgotten and feared by the divine, Virelya is not just a ruler—she is a cosmic inevitability.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
"From dust and fire, a world awakens."
On the barren expanse of a hostile world, humanity’s machines work without rest — churning the sky, thickening the air, and breathing life into a dead planet. Towering atmosphere processors spew heat and vapor, their skeletal frames wrapped in conduits and cranes. Cargo crawlers trudge across the red soil, hauling fuel and hope in equal measure. Lightning dances in the distance, a reminder that nature is not yet conquered — but here, among steel and dust, the first breath of a new world is being forged.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am sending this email to correct any misconception that the article below in yesterday's New York Times implies - that the decision by the US State Department and Obama on the proposed Canadian Keystone XL Pipeline has been finalized. IT IS NOT A DONE DEAL YET! KEEP HOPE ALIVE THAT OBAMA WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. He will either approve or deny the pipeline by the end of the year, finding it in our "national interest" or not. It is not in our national interest or in the planet's interest.
"The project still must clear several hurdles, including endorsement by other federal agencies, additional studies, public hearings and consultation with the states through which the pipeline will pass. "
All that is stated in the article is that the US State Department's Environmental Impact Statement says is that the Keystone XL pipeline would have "minimal effect on the environment." There is a 90-day comment period for all stakeholders to weigh in. Please contact the Secretary Clinton at the State Department and/or President Obama.
President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Secretary Hilary Clinton
US Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Switchboard: 202-647-4000
Link to the article on NY Times website:
BUSINESS DAY | August 27, 2011
U.S. Offers Key Support to Canadian Pipeline
August 26, 2011
U.S. Offers Key Support to Canadian Pipeline
By JOHN M. BRODER and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
WASHINGTON — The State Department gave a crucial green light on Friday to a proposed 1,711-mile pipeline that would carry heavy oil from oil sands in Canada across the Great Plains to terminals in Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast.
The project, which would be the longest oil pipeline outside of Russia and China, has become a potent symbol in a growing fight that pits energy security against environmental risk, a struggle highlighted by last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
By concluding that the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline would have minimal effect on the environment, President Obama would risk alienating environmental activists, who gave him important support in the 2008 election and were already upset by his recent decisions to expand domestic oil drilling and delay clean air rules. Pipeline opponents have protested in front of the White House for a week, resulting in nearly 400 arrests.
At the same time, rising concerns about the weak economy and high gas prices have made it difficult for the administration to oppose a project that would greatly expand the nation’s access to oil from a friendly neighbor and create tens of thousands of jobs.
The project still must clear several hurdles, including endorsement by other federal agencies, additional studies, public hearings and consultation with the states through which the pipeline will pass. But all signs point to the Obama administration approving the project by the end of the year, perhaps with modifications.
Environmental advocates say that the messy process of extracting and processing tarry oil from the Alberta wilderness would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions and devastate bird habitats. And they warn that a leak in the 36-inch-diameter pipeline could wreak severe environmental damage.
The State Department said in its environmental impact statement Friday that the pipeline’s owner, TransCanada, had agreed to take steps required by the Transportation Department to reduce the risks of a spill.
The impact statement did not fully resolve concerns raised by other federal agencies, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency, which harshly criticized earlier drafts. An E.P.A. spokeswoman, Betsaida Alcantara, said that the agency would carefully review the latest statement to determine whether it adequately dealt with questions about the pipeline’s impacts on air quality, drinking water, endangered species and minority and Native American communities.
The pipeline is expected to open in 2013 unless delayed by lawsuits or other challenges.
For many in the environmental movement, the administration’s apparent acceptance of the pipeline was yet another disappointment, after recent decisions to tentatively approve drilling in the Arctic Ocean, open 20 million more acres of the Gulf of Mexico for oil leasing and delay several major air quality regulations. Environmentalists are still smarting from the administration’s failure to push climate change legislation through Congress.
Analysts and environmental advocates said these decisions had opened a wide and perhaps unbridgeable breach between the Democratic president and environmentally minded voters. It is far from certain, however, that these activists will withhold their support from Mr. Obama in November 2012, particularly if he is running against a Republican who denies the existence of climate change and is more supportive of the oil industry than he is.
Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, urged President Obama to veto the project, despite the State Department’s willingness to see it proceed.
“It will be increasingly difficult to mobilize the environmental base and to mobilize in particular young people to volunteer, to knock on thousands of doors, to put in 16-hour days, to donate money if they don’t think the president is showing the courage to stand up to big polluters,” he said.
Julian E. Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, said that the 2012 election was shaping up to be close and the president could not afford to take these activists for granted. “I think a year ago President Obama felt he could do things that might alienate his base and organizations important to the Democratic Party and get away with it because in the end most Democrats wouldn’t go for a Republican,” Mr. Zelizer said. “Now he might pay a price for it.”
With the campaign heating up, the president appears reluctant to pursue environmental policies that could be characterized as suppressing job creation or keeping energy prices high.
The proposed Keystone XL pipeline extension would connect Canada’s oil sands to several vital refineries around Houston and the Gulf of Mexico that are designed to handle heavy crude. It would also link to a vast pipeline network that snakes out from the gulf to several large metropolitan areas in the East.
Kerri-Ann Jones, assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, said in a telephone briefing that the environmental impact statement was not the last word on the project. The secretary of state must make a final determination that it is in the nation’s economic, political, energy security and environmental interest, she noted.
But the report does conclude, she said, that “there would be no significant impacts to most resources along the pipeline’s corridor” if the project’s operator follows all relevant laws. Some American Indian cultural resources and plant and wildlife habitats could be adversely affected, the report states, although it says those concerns will be addressed.
TransCanada has refused to change its application despite critics who have contended that the half-inch-thick wall of the pipeline is not sturdy enough for maximum flow pressures, a claim the company denies.
But the company agreed to 57 conditions set by the Department of Transportation last spring, including burying the pipeline four feet below the surface, committing to frequent aerial and ground monitoring and setting the maximum distance between shut-off valves at 20 miles.
“We believe we are building the safest pipeline in North America,” said Terry Cunha, a TransCanada spokesman.
The Canadian government has lobbied hard for the pipeline extension, joining forces with oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil that have large investments in oil sands production. Under current plans, oil sands production could overwhelm existing pipeline capacity in less than five years.
Gary Doer, the Canadian ambassador to the United States, said building the pipeline would produce 20,000 construction jobs and 100,000 additional indirect jobs in services and supplies. “It’s good for the U.S. economy, U.S. jobs and U.S. energy security,” he said. “If you ask Americans, would you choose Canada over the Middle East, they’d say yes.”
Mr. Doer said the carbon emissions from oil sands production and refining had declined by roughly 40 percent a barrel since 1990, and further improvements were under way. “We have to continue working on the sustainability of development,” he said. “We believe in clean water and air, too.”
Canada, already the No. 1 source of imported oil to the United States, produced 1.5 million barrels a day of synthetic crude from oil sands in 2010 and hopes to expand that to 2.2 million barrels a day in 2015 and 3.7 million barrels a day by 2025. That level of expansion will require not only the Keystone project, but probably also pipelines to the west coast of Canada, where the crude could be exported to China and other Asian markets.
Keystone XL would increase Canada’s pipeline capacity by 700,000 barrels a day, roughly the amount of oil Malaysia produces. Oil sands alone already provide more imported oil to the United States than Saudi Arabia, Nigeria or Venezuela, countries that are potentially unstable or hostile.
Executives in the oil industry said they were satisfied that the administration recognized the importance of the pipeline project. “It’s more about jobs and energy self-sufficiency than anything else, but what’s wrong with that?” said Chip Johnson, chief executive of Carrizo Oil and Gas.
Clifford Krauss reported from Houston.
MORE IN ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT (7 OF 26 ARTICLES)
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The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The other is found in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Some primatologists consider the Bwindi population in Uganda may be a separate subspecies,[3] though no description has been finalized. As of September 2016, the estimated number of mountain gorillas remaining is about 880.[4]
Gorilla taxonomy
Mountain gorillas are descendants of ancestral monkeys and apes found in Africa and Arabia during the start of the Oligocene epoch (34-24 million years ago). The fossil record provides evidence of the hominoid primates (apes) found in east Africa about 22–32 million years ago. The fossil record of the area where mountain gorillas live is particularly poor and so its evolutionary history is not clear.[5] It was about 9 million years ago that the group of primates that were to evolve into gorillas split from their common ancestor with humans and chimps; this is when the genus Gorilla emerged. It is not certain what this early relative of the gorilla was, but it is traced back to the early ape Proconsul africanus.[6] Mountain gorillas have been isolated from eastern lowland gorillas for about 400,000 years and these two taxa separated from their western counterparts approximately 2 million years ago.[7] There has been considerable and as yet unresolved debate over the classification of mountain gorillas. The genus was first referenced as Troglodytes in 1847, but renamed to Gorilla in 1852. It was not until 1967 that the taxonomist Colin Groves proposed that all gorillas be regarded as one species (Gorilla gorilla) with three sub-species Gorilla gorilla gorilla (western lowland gorilla), Gorilla gorilla graueri (lowland gorillas found west of the Virungas) and Gorilla gorilla beringei (mountain gorillas including, Gorilla beringei found in the Virungas and Bwindi). In 2003 after a review they were divided into two species (Gorilla gorilla and Gorilla beringei) by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).[5]
Physical description
Silverback of Ntambara group, in typical resting attitude.
The fur of the mountain gorilla, often thicker and longer than that of other gorilla species, enables them to live in colder temperatures.[8] Gorillas can be identified by nose prints unique to each individual.[9] Males, at a mean weight of 195 kg (430 lb) upright standing height of 150 cm (59 in) usually weigh twice as much as the females, at a mean of 100 kg (220 lb) and a height of 130 cm (51 in).[10] This subspecies is on average the second largest species of primate; only the eastern lowland gorilla, the other subspecies of eastern gorilla, is larger.[citation needed] Adult males have more pronounced bony crests on the top and back of their skulls, giving their heads a more conical shape. These crests anchor the powerful temporalis muscles, which attach to the lower jaw (mandible). Adult females also have these crests, but they are less pronounced.[9] Like all gorillas they feature dark brown eyes framed by a black ring around the iris. Adult males are called silverbacks because a saddle of gray or silver-colored hair develops on their backs with age. The hair on their backs is shorter than on most other body parts, and their arm hair is especially long. Fully erect, males reach 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) in height, with an arm span of 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) and weigh 220 kg (490 lb).[11] The tallest silverback recorded was a 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) with an arm span of 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in), a chest of 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), and a weight of 219 kg (483 lb), shot in Alimbongo, northern Kivu in May 1938. There is an unconfirmed record of another individual, shot in 1932, that was 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) and weighed 218.6 kg (482 lb).
The mountain gorilla is primarily terrestrial and quadrupedal. However, it will climb into fruiting trees if the branches can carry its weight, and it is capable of running bipedally up to 6 m (20 ft).[citation needed] Like all great apes other than humans, its arms are longer than its legs. It moves by knuckle-walking (like the common chimpanzee, but unlike the bonobo and both orangutan species), supporting its weight on the backs of its curved fingers rather than its palms.[citation needed]
The mountain gorilla is diurnal, most active between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.[citation needed] Many of these hours are spent eating, as large quantities of food are needed to sustain its massive bulk. It forages in early morning, rests during the late morning and around midday, and in the afternoon it forages again before resting at night. Each gorilla builds a nest from surrounding vegetation to sleep in, constructing a new one every evening. Only infants sleep in the same nest as their mothers. They leave their sleeping sites when the sun rises at around 6 am, except when it is cold and overcast; then they often stay longer in their nests.[12]
Habitat and ecology
Adult male feeding on insects in a rotting tree trunk
The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests and of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200–4,300 metres (7,200–14,100 ft). Most are found on the slopes of three of the dormant volcanoes: Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke.[13] The vegetation is very dense at the bottom of the mountains, becoming more sparse at higher elevations, and the forests where the mountain gorilla lives are often cloudy, misty and cold.[14]
The mountain gorilla is primarily a herbivore; the majority of its diet is composed of the leaves, shoots and stems (85.8%) of 142 plant species. It also feeds on bark (6.9%), roots (3.3%), flowers (2.3%), and fruit (1.7%), as well as small invertebrates. (0.1%).[15] Adult males can eat up to 34 kilograms (75 lb) of vegetation a day, while a female can eat as much as 18 kilograms (40 lb).[citation needed]
The home range size (the area used by one group of gorillas during one year) is influenced by availability of food sources and usually includes several vegetation zones. George Schaller identified ten distinct zones, including: the bamboo forests at 2,200–2,800 metres (7,200–9,200 ft); the Hagenia forests at 2,800–3,400 metres (9,200–11,200 ft); and the giant senecio zone at 3,400–4,300 metres (11,200–14,100 ft).[12] The mountain gorilla spends most of its time in the Hagenia forests, where galium vines are found year-round. All parts of this vine are consumed: leaves, stems, flowers, and berries. It travels to the bamboo forests during the few months of the year fresh shoots are available, and it climbs into subalpine regions to eat the soft centers of giant senecio trees.[13]
Behaviour
Social structure
The mountain gorilla is highly social, and lives in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak.[16] These groups are nonterritorial; the silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory. In the Virunga mountain gorillas, the average length of tenure for a dominant silverback is 4.7 years.[17]
61% of groups are composed of one adult male and a number of females and 36% contain more than one adult male. The remaining gorillas are either lone males or exclusively male groups, usually made up of one mature male and a few younger males.[18] Group sizes vary from five to thirty, with an average of ten individuals. A typical group contains: one dominant silverback, who is the group's undisputed leader; another subordinate silverback (usually a younger brother, half-brother, or even an adult son of the dominant silverback); one or two blackbacks, who act as sentries; three to four sexually mature females, who are ordinarily bonded to the dominant silverback for life; and from three to six juveniles and infants.[19]
Most males, and about 60% of females, leave their natal group. Males leave when they are about 11 years old, and often the separation process is slow: they spend more and more time on the edge of the group until they leave altogether.[20] They may travel alone or with an all-male group for 2–5 years before they can attract females to join them and form a new group. Females typically emigrate when they are about 8 years old, either transferring directly to an established group or beginning a new one with a lone male. Females often transfer to a new group several times before they settle down with a certain silverback male.[21]
The dominant silverback generally determines the movements of the group, leading it to appropriate feeding sites throughout the year. He also mediates conflicts within the group and protects it from external threats.[14] When the group is attacked by humans, leopards, or other gorillas, the silverback will protect them even at the cost of his own life.[22] He is the center of attention during rest sessions, and young animals frequently stay close to him and include him in their games. If a mother dies or leaves the group, the silverback is usually the one who looks after her abandoned offspring, even allowing them to sleep in his nest.[23] Experienced silverbacks are capable of removing poachers' snares from the hands or feet of their group members.[24]
When the silverback dies or is killed by disease, accident, or poachers, the family group may be disrupted.[13] Unless there is an accepted male descendant capable of taking over his position, the group will either split up or adopt an unrelated male. When a new silverback joins the family group, he may kill all of the infants of the dead silverback.[25] Infanticide has not been observed in stable groups.
Analysis of mountain gorilla genomes by whole genome sequencing indicates that a recent decline in their population size has led to extensive inbreeding.[26] As an apparent result, individuals are typically homozygous for 34% of their genome sequence. Furthermore, homozygosity and the expression of deleterious recessive mutations as consequences of inbreeding have likely resulted in the purging of severely deleterious mutations from the population.
Aggression
Although strong and powerful, the mountain gorillas are generally gentle and very shy.[22] Severe aggression is rare in stable groups, but when two mountain gorilla groups meet, the two silverbacks can sometimes engage in a fight to the death, using their canines to cause deep, gaping injuries.[19] For this reason, conflicts are most often resolved by displays and other threat behaviors that are intended to intimidate without becoming physical. The ritualized charge display is unique to gorillas. The entire sequence has nine steps: (1) progressively quickening hooting, (2) symbolic feeding, (3) rising bipedally, (4) throwing vegetation, (5) chest-beating with cupped hands, (6) one leg kick, (7) sideways running four-legged, (8) slapping and tearing vegetation, and (9) thumping the ground with palms .[27] Jill Donisthorpe stated that a male charged at her twice. In both cases the gorilla turned away, when she stood her ground.
Volcanoes National Park (French: Parc National des Volcans) lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), which are covered in rainforest and bamboo. The park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey.
History
Children on a farm near Volcanoes National Park
The park was first gazetted in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Visoke and Mikeno, intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. It was the very first National Park to be created in Africa. Subsequently, in 1929, the borders of the park were extended further into Rwanda and into the Belgian Congo, to form the Albert National Park, a huge area of 8090 km2, run by the Belgian colonial authorities who were in charge of both colonies.[1] In 1958, 700 hectares of the park were cleared for a human settlement.[2]
After the Congo gained independence in 1960, the park was split into two, and upon Rwandan independence in 1962 the new government agreed to maintain the park as a conservation and tourist area, despite the fact that the new republic was already suffering from overpopulation problems. The park was halved in area in 1969.[citation needed] Between 1969 and 1973, 1050 hectares of the park were cleared to grow pyrethrum.[2]
The park later became the base for the American naturalist Dian Fossey to carry out her research into the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Visoke. From then on she spent most of her time in the park, and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. She was murdered by unknown assailants at her home in 1985, a crime often attributed to the poachers she had spent her life fighting against.[3] Fossey's life later was portrayed on the big screen in the film Gorillas in the Mist, named after her autobiography. She is buried in the park in a grave close to the research center, and amongst the gorillas which became her life.
The Volcanoes National Park became a battlefield during the Rwandan Civil War, with the park headquarters being attacked in 1992. The research centre was abandoned, and all tourist activities (including visiting the gorillas) were stopped. They did not resume again until 1999 when the area was deemed to be safe and under control. There have been occasional infiltrations by Rwandan rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in subsequent years, but these are always stopped quickly by the Rwandan army and there is thought to be no threat to tourism in the park.
Flora
Vegetation varies considerably due to the large altitudinal range within the park. There is some lower montane forest (now mainly lost to agriculture). Between 2400 and 2500 m, there is Neoboutonia forest. From 2500 to 3200 m Arundinaria alpina (bamboo) forest occurs, covering about 30% of the park area. From 2600 to 3600 m, mainly on the more humid slopes in the south and west, is Hagenia-Hypericum forest, which covers about 30% of the park. This is one of the largest forests of Hagenia abyssinica. The vegetation from 3500 to 4200 m is characterised by Lobelia wollastonii, L. lanurensis, and Senecio erici-rosenii and covers about 25% of the park. From 4300 to 4500 m grassland occurs. Secondary thicket, meadows, marshes, swamps and small lakes also occur, but their total area is relatively small.
Fauna
The park is best known for the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). Other mammals include: golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti), black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus niger), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). There are also reported to be some elephants in the park, though these are now very rare.[4] There are 178 recorded bird species, with at least 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori Mountains.[5]
Tourism in the park
Young gorilla grabs tourist at Volcanoes National Park
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) runs several activities for tourists, including:[6]
Gorilla visits - as of January 2015, there are ten habituated gorilla groups open to tourists, allowing for a total of 80 permits per day. Tourists report at the park head office by 7:00 for a pre-tracking briefing. Once tourists meet the gorillas they spend an hour with them.
Golden monkey visits.
Climbing of Karisimbi volcano - this is a two-day trek with overnight camping at an altitude of 3,800 m.
Climbing of Bisoke volcano - one day.
Tour of the lakes and caves.
Visiting the tomb of Dian Fossey.
Iby’Iwacu cultural village tour
The majority of revenue from tourism goes towards maintaining the park and conserving the wildlife. The remainder goes to the government and (around 10%)[citation needed] to local projects in the area to help local people benefit from the large revenue stream generated by the park.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
Inspired by Marvel's Shocker, Fanart
"When he hits, the world shakes."
Encased in his quilted armor and wielding his devastating vibro-gauntlets, the Shocker stands defiant in the heart of a ruined warehouse. Sparks and lightning tear through the air as the walls shake from each blast, his glowing eyes fixed on the next target. In this moment, he is not just a criminal — he is a living seismic event.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
Drifting through the luminous gardens of the abyss, Naelaris is a mystic Atlantean born of coral and starlight. His bioluminescent skin shimmers with the hues of the deep—sapphire, violet, and moonlit teal—while delicate, otherworldly blossoms bloom across his form, nourished by the arcane energies of the ocean. From his head flows a mane of living tendrils, like sea anemones pulsing with gentle light. Eyes glowing with serene wisdom, Naelaris is more than a guardian—he is the embodiment of nature’s sentient beauty beneath the waves. In his presence, the sea breathes with color and magic, and time dissolves like drifting stardust in the current.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop.
Afterlife (from the Netflix series "Devil May Cry")
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTduyC2zPXg
Torn between salvation and damnation, she rises — not as angel or demon, but as something greater: judgment incarnate.
One wing blazes like a dying sun, the other scorches the sky in red lightning. Her sword is forged from the silence of heaven and the screams of hell. She is wrath. She is redemption. She is the echo of a soul betrayed by both gods and devils — and now answers to neither.
Inspired by “Afterlife” by Evanescence — a vision of the soul divided, ascending through vengeance, bound by fire and light.
Finalized logo for the site: logoreview.com - A site where only the best logo designers are invited.
The final product of some brainshopping (brainstorming with Adobe Photoshop) that has been going on for a little while now.
I'm pretty satisfied with this placeholder page for now as it:
* Allows some room for growth (top right navigation)
* Provides a unified face to potential logically stand-alone portions underneath
* Some room for play (rotating with each refresh "brian..." boxes below)
* Provides a way for people to contact me up front (and not through email)
* Uses a bit of color to accentuate and create depth
Looking back, I thought the pictures and tilted elements I started to work with seemed a bit lacking on the mature side and at times the effect did not look intentionally done and was used a bit too much. As always, thoughts are welcome.
This is best viewed at original size.
Now its off to bed with my ridiculousness.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
Inspired by The Crow (Fanart)
In the eerie half-light of a rain-soaked alley, a lone figure stands — a pug transformed into a spectral avenger. His fur is slicked with shadow, matted in places, and his solemn, wrinkled face bears the painted black smears of vengeance, evoking the iconic visage of The Crow. Dressed in a tattered leather trench coat cinched at the waist with frayed bindings, his canine form is powerfully built yet agile, radiating a quiet menace. His piercing amber eyes gleam with supernatural resolve beneath the tangled locks of fur falling over his brow. Feathers drift around him on the wind, black as night, hints of the raven spirit that brought him back from the grave. He walks the empty streets with a crooked gait, clutching a twisted crow-feathered staff in one paw — the mark of his resurrection, the tool of his revenge. Every step echoes loss, every breath whispers justice.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop.
A dark, storm-swept skyline looms behind a fierce and otherworldly figure—Veyra, crowned in flame and shadow. Gothic spires rise like broken cathedrals against a sky split with lightning, casting a cold, electric glow across the ruins of a once-great floating city.
Veyra stands in the foreground, poised like a living storm given form. Her eyes blaze—one golden, one streaked with crackling ether—revealing a mind fragmented by time and power. Her armor is not worn but grown, blackened and baroque, etched with glowing ember veins and forged from some arcane alloy that pulses like fire trapped in glass. She wears an intricate gothic headdress, towering and wild, like molten branches woven into a crown—ornate filigree alive with heat and energy.
Her presence bends the atmosphere. Strands of lightning arc through her hair, and the wind moves as if listening to her thoughts. She is regal, raw, and untamed—a herald of forgotten truths and divine reckoning.
This is no ruler of peace. This is a prophetess of destruction—a spark once denied, now returned to set the skies ablaze.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
"Where the leap takes you is written in the stars."
Beneath the glow of a fractured full moon, a star-winged frog drifts above a luminous marsh, its curious eyes reflecting the galaxies etched in its own shimmering wings. Bioluminescent lilies cast ripples of blue and gold light across the water, while fireflies swirl in lazy constellations. Equal parts dream and impossibility, it’s a moment caught between magic and mischief.
The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The other is found in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Some primatologists consider the Bwindi population in Uganda may be a separate subspecies,[3] though no description has been finalized. As of September 2016, the estimated number of mountain gorillas remaining is about 880.[4]
Gorilla taxonomy
Mountain gorillas are descendants of ancestral monkeys and apes found in Africa and Arabia during the start of the Oligocene epoch (34-24 million years ago). The fossil record provides evidence of the hominoid primates (apes) found in east Africa about 22–32 million years ago. The fossil record of the area where mountain gorillas live is particularly poor and so its evolutionary history is not clear.[5] It was about 9 million years ago that the group of primates that were to evolve into gorillas split from their common ancestor with humans and chimps; this is when the genus Gorilla emerged. It is not certain what this early relative of the gorilla was, but it is traced back to the early ape Proconsul africanus.[6] Mountain gorillas have been isolated from eastern lowland gorillas for about 400,000 years and these two taxa separated from their western counterparts approximately 2 million years ago.[7] There has been considerable and as yet unresolved debate over the classification of mountain gorillas. The genus was first referenced as Troglodytes in 1847, but renamed to Gorilla in 1852. It was not until 1967 that the taxonomist Colin Groves proposed that all gorillas be regarded as one species (Gorilla gorilla) with three sub-species Gorilla gorilla gorilla (western lowland gorilla), Gorilla gorilla graueri (lowland gorillas found west of the Virungas) and Gorilla gorilla beringei (mountain gorillas including, Gorilla beringei found in the Virungas and Bwindi). In 2003 after a review they were divided into two species (Gorilla gorilla and Gorilla beringei) by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).[5]
Physical description
Silverback of Ntambara group, in typical resting attitude.
The fur of the mountain gorilla, often thicker and longer than that of other gorilla species, enables them to live in colder temperatures.[8] Gorillas can be identified by nose prints unique to each individual.[9] Males, at a mean weight of 195 kg (430 lb) upright standing height of 150 cm (59 in) usually weigh twice as much as the females, at a mean of 100 kg (220 lb) and a height of 130 cm (51 in).[10] This subspecies is on average the second largest species of primate; only the eastern lowland gorilla, the other subspecies of eastern gorilla, is larger.[citation needed] Adult males have more pronounced bony crests on the top and back of their skulls, giving their heads a more conical shape. These crests anchor the powerful temporalis muscles, which attach to the lower jaw (mandible). Adult females also have these crests, but they are less pronounced.[9] Like all gorillas they feature dark brown eyes framed by a black ring around the iris. Adult males are called silverbacks because a saddle of gray or silver-colored hair develops on their backs with age. The hair on their backs is shorter than on most other body parts, and their arm hair is especially long. Fully erect, males reach 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) in height, with an arm span of 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) and weigh 220 kg (490 lb).[11] The tallest silverback recorded was a 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) with an arm span of 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in), a chest of 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), and a weight of 219 kg (483 lb), shot in Alimbongo, northern Kivu in May 1938. There is an unconfirmed record of another individual, shot in 1932, that was 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) and weighed 218.6 kg (482 lb).
The mountain gorilla is primarily terrestrial and quadrupedal. However, it will climb into fruiting trees if the branches can carry its weight, and it is capable of running bipedally up to 6 m (20 ft).[citation needed] Like all great apes other than humans, its arms are longer than its legs. It moves by knuckle-walking (like the common chimpanzee, but unlike the bonobo and both orangutan species), supporting its weight on the backs of its curved fingers rather than its palms.[citation needed]
The mountain gorilla is diurnal, most active between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.[citation needed] Many of these hours are spent eating, as large quantities of food are needed to sustain its massive bulk. It forages in early morning, rests during the late morning and around midday, and in the afternoon it forages again before resting at night. Each gorilla builds a nest from surrounding vegetation to sleep in, constructing a new one every evening. Only infants sleep in the same nest as their mothers. They leave their sleeping sites when the sun rises at around 6 am, except when it is cold and overcast; then they often stay longer in their nests.[12]
Habitat and ecology
Adult male feeding on insects in a rotting tree trunk
The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests and of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200–4,300 metres (7,200–14,100 ft). Most are found on the slopes of three of the dormant volcanoes: Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke.[13] The vegetation is very dense at the bottom of the mountains, becoming more sparse at higher elevations, and the forests where the mountain gorilla lives are often cloudy, misty and cold.[14]
The mountain gorilla is primarily a herbivore; the majority of its diet is composed of the leaves, shoots and stems (85.8%) of 142 plant species. It also feeds on bark (6.9%), roots (3.3%), flowers (2.3%), and fruit (1.7%), as well as small invertebrates. (0.1%).[15] Adult males can eat up to 34 kilograms (75 lb) of vegetation a day, while a female can eat as much as 18 kilograms (40 lb).[citation needed]
The home range size (the area used by one group of gorillas during one year) is influenced by availability of food sources and usually includes several vegetation zones. George Schaller identified ten distinct zones, including: the bamboo forests at 2,200–2,800 metres (7,200–9,200 ft); the Hagenia forests at 2,800–3,400 metres (9,200–11,200 ft); and the giant senecio zone at 3,400–4,300 metres (11,200–14,100 ft).[12] The mountain gorilla spends most of its time in the Hagenia forests, where galium vines are found year-round. All parts of this vine are consumed: leaves, stems, flowers, and berries. It travels to the bamboo forests during the few months of the year fresh shoots are available, and it climbs into subalpine regions to eat the soft centers of giant senecio trees.[13]
Behaviour
Social structure
The mountain gorilla is highly social, and lives in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak.[16] These groups are nonterritorial; the silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory. In the Virunga mountain gorillas, the average length of tenure for a dominant silverback is 4.7 years.[17]
61% of groups are composed of one adult male and a number of females and 36% contain more than one adult male. The remaining gorillas are either lone males or exclusively male groups, usually made up of one mature male and a few younger males.[18] Group sizes vary from five to thirty, with an average of ten individuals. A typical group contains: one dominant silverback, who is the group's undisputed leader; another subordinate silverback (usually a younger brother, half-brother, or even an adult son of the dominant silverback); one or two blackbacks, who act as sentries; three to four sexually mature females, who are ordinarily bonded to the dominant silverback for life; and from three to six juveniles and infants.[19]
Most males, and about 60% of females, leave their natal group. Males leave when they are about 11 years old, and often the separation process is slow: they spend more and more time on the edge of the group until they leave altogether.[20] They may travel alone or with an all-male group for 2–5 years before they can attract females to join them and form a new group. Females typically emigrate when they are about 8 years old, either transferring directly to an established group or beginning a new one with a lone male. Females often transfer to a new group several times before they settle down with a certain silverback male.[21]
The dominant silverback generally determines the movements of the group, leading it to appropriate feeding sites throughout the year. He also mediates conflicts within the group and protects it from external threats.[14] When the group is attacked by humans, leopards, or other gorillas, the silverback will protect them even at the cost of his own life.[22] He is the center of attention during rest sessions, and young animals frequently stay close to him and include him in their games. If a mother dies or leaves the group, the silverback is usually the one who looks after her abandoned offspring, even allowing them to sleep in his nest.[23] Experienced silverbacks are capable of removing poachers' snares from the hands or feet of their group members.[24]
When the silverback dies or is killed by disease, accident, or poachers, the family group may be disrupted.[13] Unless there is an accepted male descendant capable of taking over his position, the group will either split up or adopt an unrelated male. When a new silverback joins the family group, he may kill all of the infants of the dead silverback.[25] Infanticide has not been observed in stable groups.
Analysis of mountain gorilla genomes by whole genome sequencing indicates that a recent decline in their population size has led to extensive inbreeding.[26] As an apparent result, individuals are typically homozygous for 34% of their genome sequence. Furthermore, homozygosity and the expression of deleterious recessive mutations as consequences of inbreeding have likely resulted in the purging of severely deleterious mutations from the population.
Aggression
Although strong and powerful, the mountain gorillas are generally gentle and very shy.[22] Severe aggression is rare in stable groups, but when two mountain gorilla groups meet, the two silverbacks can sometimes engage in a fight to the death, using their canines to cause deep, gaping injuries.[19] For this reason, conflicts are most often resolved by displays and other threat behaviors that are intended to intimidate without becoming physical. The ritualized charge display is unique to gorillas. The entire sequence has nine steps: (1) progressively quickening hooting, (2) symbolic feeding, (3) rising bipedally, (4) throwing vegetation, (5) chest-beating with cupped hands, (6) one leg kick, (7) sideways running four-legged, (8) slapping and tearing vegetation, and (9) thumping the ground with palms .[27] Jill Donisthorpe stated that a male charged at her twice. In both cases the gorilla turned away, when she stood her ground.
Volcanoes National Park (French: Parc National des Volcans) lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), which are covered in rainforest and bamboo. The park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey.
History
Children on a farm near Volcanoes National Park
The park was first gazetted in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Visoke and Mikeno, intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. It was the very first National Park to be created in Africa. Subsequently, in 1929, the borders of the park were extended further into Rwanda and into the Belgian Congo, to form the Albert National Park, a huge area of 8090 km2, run by the Belgian colonial authorities who were in charge of both colonies.[1] In 1958, 700 hectares of the park were cleared for a human settlement.[2]
After the Congo gained independence in 1960, the park was split into two, and upon Rwandan independence in 1962 the new government agreed to maintain the park as a conservation and tourist area, despite the fact that the new republic was already suffering from overpopulation problems. The park was halved in area in 1969.[citation needed] Between 1969 and 1973, 1050 hectares of the park were cleared to grow pyrethrum.[2]
The park later became the base for the American naturalist Dian Fossey to carry out her research into the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Visoke. From then on she spent most of her time in the park, and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. She was murdered by unknown assailants at her home in 1985, a crime often attributed to the poachers she had spent her life fighting against.[3] Fossey's life later was portrayed on the big screen in the film Gorillas in the Mist, named after her autobiography. She is buried in the park in a grave close to the research center, and amongst the gorillas which became her life.
The Volcanoes National Park became a battlefield during the Rwandan Civil War, with the park headquarters being attacked in 1992. The research centre was abandoned, and all tourist activities (including visiting the gorillas) were stopped. They did not resume again until 1999 when the area was deemed to be safe and under control. There have been occasional infiltrations by Rwandan rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in subsequent years, but these are always stopped quickly by the Rwandan army and there is thought to be no threat to tourism in the park.
Flora
Vegetation varies considerably due to the large altitudinal range within the park. There is some lower montane forest (now mainly lost to agriculture). Between 2400 and 2500 m, there is Neoboutonia forest. From 2500 to 3200 m Arundinaria alpina (bamboo) forest occurs, covering about 30% of the park area. From 2600 to 3600 m, mainly on the more humid slopes in the south and west, is Hagenia-Hypericum forest, which covers about 30% of the park. This is one of the largest forests of Hagenia abyssinica. The vegetation from 3500 to 4200 m is characterised by Lobelia wollastonii, L. lanurensis, and Senecio erici-rosenii and covers about 25% of the park. From 4300 to 4500 m grassland occurs. Secondary thicket, meadows, marshes, swamps and small lakes also occur, but their total area is relatively small.
Fauna
The park is best known for the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). Other mammals include: golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti), black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus niger), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). There are also reported to be some elephants in the park, though these are now very rare.[4] There are 178 recorded bird species, with at least 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori Mountains.[5]
Tourism in the park
Young gorilla grabs tourist at Volcanoes National Park
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) runs several activities for tourists, including:[6]
Gorilla visits - as of January 2015, there are ten habituated gorilla groups open to tourists, allowing for a total of 80 permits per day. Tourists report at the park head office by 7:00 for a pre-tracking briefing. Once tourists meet the gorillas they spend an hour with them.
Golden monkey visits.
Climbing of Karisimbi volcano - this is a two-day trek with overnight camping at an altitude of 3,800 m.
Climbing of Bisoke volcano - one day.
Tour of the lakes and caves.
Visiting the tomb of Dian Fossey.
Iby’Iwacu cultural village tour
The majority of revenue from tourism goes towards maintaining the park and conserving the wildlife. The remainder goes to the government and (around 10%)[citation needed] to local projects in the area to help local people benefit from the large revenue stream generated by the park.
Finalized version of the Apollo A7L Spacesuit that was worn during the Moon landings.
Free instructions on Rebrickable:
rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-91202/Jrathage/apollo-a7l-lunar-...
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
Inspired by and Reimagined
“Where he walks, thunder becomes silence — and the void obeys.”
From the shattered void he emerged, a towering warlord clad in blackened steel, his armor alive with rivers of crackling purple lightning. Each pulse of energy carved burning scars into the storm-wracked sky, while his violet eyes glared like twin suns of ruin. Shattered rocks and burning embers drifted in orbit around him, drawn to the gravitational weight of his fury. A single step from this colossus could shatter mountains, and the void itself trembled beneath his command.
Done in Photoshop, Finalized in Photoshop and Photoscape X
Bathed in the golden breath of twilight, Prince Elarion Vaeltharion stands as a vision of timeless elven grace. His piercing amber eyes hold the weight of millennia, flickering like starlight trapped in mortal gaze. Silken strands of moonlit silver cascade over regal shoulders draped in robes embroidered with celestial filigree — threads of gold woven with ancient enchantments, whispering with magic when they move.
He is heir to the Luminous Bough, an ancient elven sanctum hidden deep within the veil of dreams, where trees hum with forgotten hymns and rivers glow like liquid crystal. Elarion is both diplomat and blade — revered for his wisdom, yet feared for his wrath. The sigils etched into his attire are not mere decoration; they are wards and truths, fragments of the old language spoken only by stars and gods.
Where he walks, silence falls. Not out of fear, but reverence. For Elarion is not merely a prince —
He is prophecy woven into form.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am sending this email to correct any misconception that the article below in yesterday's New York Times implies - that the decision by the US State Department and Obama on the proposed Canadian Keystone XL Pipeline has been finalized. IT IS NOT A DONE DEAL YET! KEEP HOPE ALIVE THAT OBAMA WILL DO THE RIGHT THING. He will either approve or deny the pipeline by the end of the year, finding it in our "national interest" or not. It is not in our national interest or in the planet's interest.
"The project still must clear several hurdles, including endorsement by other federal agencies, additional studies, public hearings and consultation with the states through which the pipeline will pass. "
All that is stated in the article is that the US State Department's Environmental Impact Statement says is that the Keystone XL pipeline would have "minimal effect on the environment." There is a 90-day comment period for all stakeholders to weigh in. Please contact the Secretary Clinton at the State Department and/or President Obama.
President Barack Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Secretary Hilary Clinton
US Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520
Switchboard: 202-647-4000
Link to the article on NY Times website:
BUSINESS DAY | August 27, 2011
U.S. Offers Key Support to Canadian Pipeline
August 26, 2011
U.S. Offers Key Support to Canadian Pipeline
By JOHN M. BRODER and CLIFFORD KRAUSS
WASHINGTON — The State Department gave a crucial green light on Friday to a proposed 1,711-mile pipeline that would carry heavy oil from oil sands in Canada across the Great Plains to terminals in Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast.
The project, which would be the longest oil pipeline outside of Russia and China, has become a potent symbol in a growing fight that pits energy security against environmental risk, a struggle highlighted by last year’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
By concluding that the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline would have minimal effect on the environment, President Obama would risk alienating environmental activists, who gave him important support in the 2008 election and were already upset by his recent decisions to expand domestic oil drilling and delay clean air rules. Pipeline opponents have protested in front of the White House for a week, resulting in nearly 400 arrests.
At the same time, rising concerns about the weak economy and high gas prices have made it difficult for the administration to oppose a project that would greatly expand the nation’s access to oil from a friendly neighbor and create tens of thousands of jobs.
The project still must clear several hurdles, including endorsement by other federal agencies, additional studies, public hearings and consultation with the states through which the pipeline will pass. But all signs point to the Obama administration approving the project by the end of the year, perhaps with modifications.
Environmental advocates say that the messy process of extracting and processing tarry oil from the Alberta wilderness would significantly increase greenhouse gas emissions and devastate bird habitats. And they warn that a leak in the 36-inch-diameter pipeline could wreak severe environmental damage.
The State Department said in its environmental impact statement Friday that the pipeline’s owner, TransCanada, had agreed to take steps required by the Transportation Department to reduce the risks of a spill.
The impact statement did not fully resolve concerns raised by other federal agencies, particularly the Environmental Protection Agency, which harshly criticized earlier drafts. An E.P.A. spokeswoman, Betsaida Alcantara, said that the agency would carefully review the latest statement to determine whether it adequately dealt with questions about the pipeline’s impacts on air quality, drinking water, endangered species and minority and Native American communities.
The pipeline is expected to open in 2013 unless delayed by lawsuits or other challenges.
For many in the environmental movement, the administration’s apparent acceptance of the pipeline was yet another disappointment, after recent decisions to tentatively approve drilling in the Arctic Ocean, open 20 million more acres of the Gulf of Mexico for oil leasing and delay several major air quality regulations. Environmentalists are still smarting from the administration’s failure to push climate change legislation through Congress.
Analysts and environmental advocates said these decisions had opened a wide and perhaps unbridgeable breach between the Democratic president and environmentally minded voters. It is far from certain, however, that these activists will withhold their support from Mr. Obama in November 2012, particularly if he is running against a Republican who denies the existence of climate change and is more supportive of the oil industry than he is.
Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, urged President Obama to veto the project, despite the State Department’s willingness to see it proceed.
“It will be increasingly difficult to mobilize the environmental base and to mobilize in particular young people to volunteer, to knock on thousands of doors, to put in 16-hour days, to donate money if they don’t think the president is showing the courage to stand up to big polluters,” he said.
Julian E. Zelizer, professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University, said that the 2012 election was shaping up to be close and the president could not afford to take these activists for granted. “I think a year ago President Obama felt he could do things that might alienate his base and organizations important to the Democratic Party and get away with it because in the end most Democrats wouldn’t go for a Republican,” Mr. Zelizer said. “Now he might pay a price for it.”
With the campaign heating up, the president appears reluctant to pursue environmental policies that could be characterized as suppressing job creation or keeping energy prices high.
The proposed Keystone XL pipeline extension would connect Canada’s oil sands to several vital refineries around Houston and the Gulf of Mexico that are designed to handle heavy crude. It would also link to a vast pipeline network that snakes out from the gulf to several large metropolitan areas in the East.
Kerri-Ann Jones, assistant secretary of state for oceans and international environmental and scientific affairs, said in a telephone briefing that the environmental impact statement was not the last word on the project. The secretary of state must make a final determination that it is in the nation’s economic, political, energy security and environmental interest, she noted.
But the report does conclude, she said, that “there would be no significant impacts to most resources along the pipeline’s corridor” if the project’s operator follows all relevant laws. Some American Indian cultural resources and plant and wildlife habitats could be adversely affected, the report states, although it says those concerns will be addressed.
TransCanada has refused to change its application despite critics who have contended that the half-inch-thick wall of the pipeline is not sturdy enough for maximum flow pressures, a claim the company denies.
But the company agreed to 57 conditions set by the Department of Transportation last spring, including burying the pipeline four feet below the surface, committing to frequent aerial and ground monitoring and setting the maximum distance between shut-off valves at 20 miles.
“We believe we are building the safest pipeline in North America,” said Terry Cunha, a TransCanada spokesman.
The Canadian government has lobbied hard for the pipeline extension, joining forces with oil companies like Royal Dutch Shell and Exxon Mobil that have large investments in oil sands production. Under current plans, oil sands production could overwhelm existing pipeline capacity in less than five years.
Gary Doer, the Canadian ambassador to the United States, said building the pipeline would produce 20,000 construction jobs and 100,000 additional indirect jobs in services and supplies. “It’s good for the U.S. economy, U.S. jobs and U.S. energy security,” he said. “If you ask Americans, would you choose Canada over the Middle East, they’d say yes.”
Mr. Doer said the carbon emissions from oil sands production and refining had declined by roughly 40 percent a barrel since 1990, and further improvements were under way. “We have to continue working on the sustainability of development,” he said. “We believe in clean water and air, too.”
Canada, already the No. 1 source of imported oil to the United States, produced 1.5 million barrels a day of synthetic crude from oil sands in 2010 and hopes to expand that to 2.2 million barrels a day in 2015 and 3.7 million barrels a day by 2025. That level of expansion will require not only the Keystone project, but probably also pipelines to the west coast of Canada, where the crude could be exported to China and other Asian markets.
Keystone XL would increase Canada’s pipeline capacity by 700,000 barrels a day, roughly the amount of oil Malaysia produces. Oil sands alone already provide more imported oil to the United States than Saudi Arabia, Nigeria or Venezuela, countries that are potentially unstable or hostile.
Executives in the oil industry said they were satisfied that the administration recognized the importance of the pipeline project. “It’s more about jobs and energy self-sufficiency than anything else, but what’s wrong with that?” said Chip Johnson, chief executive of Carrizo Oil and Gas.
Clifford Krauss reported from Houston.
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The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN. The other is found in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Some primatologists consider the Bwindi population in Uganda may be a separate subspecies,[3] though no description has been finalized. As of September 2016, the estimated number of mountain gorillas remaining is about 880.[4]
Gorilla taxonomy
Mountain gorillas are descendants of ancestral monkeys and apes found in Africa and Arabia during the start of the Oligocene epoch (34-24 million years ago). The fossil record provides evidence of the hominoid primates (apes) found in east Africa about 22–32 million years ago. The fossil record of the area where mountain gorillas live is particularly poor and so its evolutionary history is not clear.[5] It was about 9 million years ago that the group of primates that were to evolve into gorillas split from their common ancestor with humans and chimps; this is when the genus Gorilla emerged. It is not certain what this early relative of the gorilla was, but it is traced back to the early ape Proconsul africanus.[6] Mountain gorillas have been isolated from eastern lowland gorillas for about 400,000 years and these two taxa separated from their western counterparts approximately 2 million years ago.[7] There has been considerable and as yet unresolved debate over the classification of mountain gorillas. The genus was first referenced as Troglodytes in 1847, but renamed to Gorilla in 1852. It was not until 1967 that the taxonomist Colin Groves proposed that all gorillas be regarded as one species (Gorilla gorilla) with three sub-species Gorilla gorilla gorilla (western lowland gorilla), Gorilla gorilla graueri (lowland gorillas found west of the Virungas) and Gorilla gorilla beringei (mountain gorillas including, Gorilla beringei found in the Virungas and Bwindi). In 2003 after a review they were divided into two species (Gorilla gorilla and Gorilla beringei) by The World Conservation Union (IUCN).[5]
Physical description
Silverback of Ntambara group, in typical resting attitude.
The fur of the mountain gorilla, often thicker and longer than that of other gorilla species, enables them to live in colder temperatures.[8] Gorillas can be identified by nose prints unique to each individual.[9] Males, at a mean weight of 195 kg (430 lb) upright standing height of 150 cm (59 in) usually weigh twice as much as the females, at a mean of 100 kg (220 lb) and a height of 130 cm (51 in).[10] This subspecies is on average the second largest species of primate; only the eastern lowland gorilla, the other subspecies of eastern gorilla, is larger.[citation needed] Adult males have more pronounced bony crests on the top and back of their skulls, giving their heads a more conical shape. These crests anchor the powerful temporalis muscles, which attach to the lower jaw (mandible). Adult females also have these crests, but they are less pronounced.[9] Like all gorillas they feature dark brown eyes framed by a black ring around the iris. Adult males are called silverbacks because a saddle of gray or silver-colored hair develops on their backs with age. The hair on their backs is shorter than on most other body parts, and their arm hair is especially long. Fully erect, males reach 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) in height, with an arm span of 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) and weigh 220 kg (490 lb).[11] The tallest silverback recorded was a 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) with an arm span of 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in), a chest of 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in), and a weight of 219 kg (483 lb), shot in Alimbongo, northern Kivu in May 1938. There is an unconfirmed record of another individual, shot in 1932, that was 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) and weighed 218.6 kg (482 lb).
The mountain gorilla is primarily terrestrial and quadrupedal. However, it will climb into fruiting trees if the branches can carry its weight, and it is capable of running bipedally up to 6 m (20 ft).[citation needed] Like all great apes other than humans, its arms are longer than its legs. It moves by knuckle-walking (like the common chimpanzee, but unlike the bonobo and both orangutan species), supporting its weight on the backs of its curved fingers rather than its palms.[citation needed]
The mountain gorilla is diurnal, most active between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.[citation needed] Many of these hours are spent eating, as large quantities of food are needed to sustain its massive bulk. It forages in early morning, rests during the late morning and around midday, and in the afternoon it forages again before resting at night. Each gorilla builds a nest from surrounding vegetation to sleep in, constructing a new one every evening. Only infants sleep in the same nest as their mothers. They leave their sleeping sites when the sun rises at around 6 am, except when it is cold and overcast; then they often stay longer in their nests.[12]
Habitat and ecology
Adult male feeding on insects in a rotting tree trunk
The mountain gorilla inhabits the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests and of the Virunga Volcanoes, ranging in altitude from 2,200–4,300 metres (7,200–14,100 ft). Most are found on the slopes of three of the dormant volcanoes: Karisimbi, Mikeno, and Visoke.[13] The vegetation is very dense at the bottom of the mountains, becoming more sparse at higher elevations, and the forests where the mountain gorilla lives are often cloudy, misty and cold.[14]
The mountain gorilla is primarily a herbivore; the majority of its diet is composed of the leaves, shoots and stems (85.8%) of 142 plant species. It also feeds on bark (6.9%), roots (3.3%), flowers (2.3%), and fruit (1.7%), as well as small invertebrates. (0.1%).[15] Adult males can eat up to 34 kilograms (75 lb) of vegetation a day, while a female can eat as much as 18 kilograms (40 lb).[citation needed]
The home range size (the area used by one group of gorillas during one year) is influenced by availability of food sources and usually includes several vegetation zones. George Schaller identified ten distinct zones, including: the bamboo forests at 2,200–2,800 metres (7,200–9,200 ft); the Hagenia forests at 2,800–3,400 metres (9,200–11,200 ft); and the giant senecio zone at 3,400–4,300 metres (11,200–14,100 ft).[12] The mountain gorilla spends most of its time in the Hagenia forests, where galium vines are found year-round. All parts of this vine are consumed: leaves, stems, flowers, and berries. It travels to the bamboo forests during the few months of the year fresh shoots are available, and it climbs into subalpine regions to eat the soft centers of giant senecio trees.[13]
Behaviour
Social structure
The mountain gorilla is highly social, and lives in relatively stable, cohesive groups held together by long-term bonds between adult males and females. Relationships among females are relatively weak.[16] These groups are nonterritorial; the silverback generally defends his group rather than his territory. In the Virunga mountain gorillas, the average length of tenure for a dominant silverback is 4.7 years.[17]
61% of groups are composed of one adult male and a number of females and 36% contain more than one adult male. The remaining gorillas are either lone males or exclusively male groups, usually made up of one mature male and a few younger males.[18] Group sizes vary from five to thirty, with an average of ten individuals. A typical group contains: one dominant silverback, who is the group's undisputed leader; another subordinate silverback (usually a younger brother, half-brother, or even an adult son of the dominant silverback); one or two blackbacks, who act as sentries; three to four sexually mature females, who are ordinarily bonded to the dominant silverback for life; and from three to six juveniles and infants.[19]
Most males, and about 60% of females, leave their natal group. Males leave when they are about 11 years old, and often the separation process is slow: they spend more and more time on the edge of the group until they leave altogether.[20] They may travel alone or with an all-male group for 2–5 years before they can attract females to join them and form a new group. Females typically emigrate when they are about 8 years old, either transferring directly to an established group or beginning a new one with a lone male. Females often transfer to a new group several times before they settle down with a certain silverback male.[21]
The dominant silverback generally determines the movements of the group, leading it to appropriate feeding sites throughout the year. He also mediates conflicts within the group and protects it from external threats.[14] When the group is attacked by humans, leopards, or other gorillas, the silverback will protect them even at the cost of his own life.[22] He is the center of attention during rest sessions, and young animals frequently stay close to him and include him in their games. If a mother dies or leaves the group, the silverback is usually the one who looks after her abandoned offspring, even allowing them to sleep in his nest.[23] Experienced silverbacks are capable of removing poachers' snares from the hands or feet of their group members.[24]
When the silverback dies or is killed by disease, accident, or poachers, the family group may be disrupted.[13] Unless there is an accepted male descendant capable of taking over his position, the group will either split up or adopt an unrelated male. When a new silverback joins the family group, he may kill all of the infants of the dead silverback.[25] Infanticide has not been observed in stable groups.
Analysis of mountain gorilla genomes by whole genome sequencing indicates that a recent decline in their population size has led to extensive inbreeding.[26] As an apparent result, individuals are typically homozygous for 34% of their genome sequence. Furthermore, homozygosity and the expression of deleterious recessive mutations as consequences of inbreeding have likely resulted in the purging of severely deleterious mutations from the population.
Aggression
Although strong and powerful, the mountain gorillas are generally gentle and very shy.[22] Severe aggression is rare in stable groups, but when two mountain gorilla groups meet, the two silverbacks can sometimes engage in a fight to the death, using their canines to cause deep, gaping injuries.[19] For this reason, conflicts are most often resolved by displays and other threat behaviors that are intended to intimidate without becoming physical. The ritualized charge display is unique to gorillas. The entire sequence has nine steps: (1) progressively quickening hooting, (2) symbolic feeding, (3) rising bipedally, (4) throwing vegetation, (5) chest-beating with cupped hands, (6) one leg kick, (7) sideways running four-legged, (8) slapping and tearing vegetation, and (9) thumping the ground with palms .[27] Jill Donisthorpe stated that a male charged at her twice. In both cases the gorilla turned away, when she stood her ground.
Volcanoes National Park (French: Parc National des Volcans) lies in northwestern Rwanda and borders Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The national park is known as a haven for the mountain gorilla. It is home to five of the eight volcanoes of the Virunga Mountains (Karisimbi, Bisoke, Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo), which are covered in rainforest and bamboo. The park was the base for the zoologist Dian Fossey.
History
Children on a farm near Volcanoes National Park
The park was first gazetted in 1925, as a small area bounded by Karisimbi, Visoke and Mikeno, intended to protect the gorillas from poachers. It was the very first National Park to be created in Africa. Subsequently, in 1929, the borders of the park were extended further into Rwanda and into the Belgian Congo, to form the Albert National Park, a huge area of 8090 km2, run by the Belgian colonial authorities who were in charge of both colonies.[1] In 1958, 700 hectares of the park were cleared for a human settlement.[2]
After the Congo gained independence in 1960, the park was split into two, and upon Rwandan independence in 1962 the new government agreed to maintain the park as a conservation and tourist area, despite the fact that the new republic was already suffering from overpopulation problems. The park was halved in area in 1969.[citation needed] Between 1969 and 1973, 1050 hectares of the park were cleared to grow pyrethrum.[2]
The park later became the base for the American naturalist Dian Fossey to carry out her research into the gorillas. She arrived in 1967 and set up the Karisoke Research Centre between Karisimbi and Visoke. From then on she spent most of her time in the park, and is widely credited with saving the gorillas from extinction by bringing their plight to the attention of the international community. She was murdered by unknown assailants at her home in 1985, a crime often attributed to the poachers she had spent her life fighting against.[3] Fossey's life later was portrayed on the big screen in the film Gorillas in the Mist, named after her autobiography. She is buried in the park in a grave close to the research center, and amongst the gorillas which became her life.
The Volcanoes National Park became a battlefield during the Rwandan Civil War, with the park headquarters being attacked in 1992. The research centre was abandoned, and all tourist activities (including visiting the gorillas) were stopped. They did not resume again until 1999 when the area was deemed to be safe and under control. There have been occasional infiltrations by Rwandan rebels from the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda in subsequent years, but these are always stopped quickly by the Rwandan army and there is thought to be no threat to tourism in the park.
Flora
Vegetation varies considerably due to the large altitudinal range within the park. There is some lower montane forest (now mainly lost to agriculture). Between 2400 and 2500 m, there is Neoboutonia forest. From 2500 to 3200 m Arundinaria alpina (bamboo) forest occurs, covering about 30% of the park area. From 2600 to 3600 m, mainly on the more humid slopes in the south and west, is Hagenia-Hypericum forest, which covers about 30% of the park. This is one of the largest forests of Hagenia abyssinica. The vegetation from 3500 to 4200 m is characterised by Lobelia wollastonii, L. lanurensis, and Senecio erici-rosenii and covers about 25% of the park. From 4300 to 4500 m grassland occurs. Secondary thicket, meadows, marshes, swamps and small lakes also occur, but their total area is relatively small.
Fauna
The park is best known for the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei). Other mammals include: golden monkey (Cercopithecus mitis kandti), black-fronted duiker (Cephalophus niger), buffalo (Syncerus caffer), spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus). There are also reported to be some elephants in the park, though these are now very rare.[4] There are 178 recorded bird species, with at least 13 species and 16 subspecies endemic to the Virunga and Ruwenzori Mountains.[5]
Tourism in the park
Young gorilla grabs tourist at Volcanoes National Park
The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) runs several activities for tourists, including:[6]
Gorilla visits - as of January 2015, there are ten habituated gorilla groups open to tourists, allowing for a total of 80 permits per day. Tourists report at the park head office by 7:00 for a pre-tracking briefing. Once tourists meet the gorillas they spend an hour with them.
Golden monkey visits.
Climbing of Karisimbi volcano - this is a two-day trek with overnight camping at an altitude of 3,800 m.
Climbing of Bisoke volcano - one day.
Tour of the lakes and caves.
Visiting the tomb of Dian Fossey.
Iby’Iwacu cultural village tour
The majority of revenue from tourism goes towards maintaining the park and conserving the wildlife. The remainder goes to the government and (around 10%)[citation needed] to local projects in the area to help local people benefit from the large revenue stream generated by the park.
Done in AI, Finalized in Photoshop
n the haunting stillness of a shadow-drenched crypt, a regal Victorian vampire lord stands poised with eerie grace. His long, flowing black hair drapes over a richly embroidered crimson velvet coat, adorned with intricate gold filigree and arcane symbols stitched in thread as dark as the night. A bone-white ruffled cravat spills over his chest, contrasting his pale, almost porcelain skin.
Glowing red eyes pierce through the dim candlelight, fixed on a crystal goblet raised delicately in one hand — filled to the brim with thick, gleaming blood. Every detail is deliberate: from the carved skull-shaped brooch glinting at his waist, to the gilded patterns on his cuffs that echo ancient Gothic iconography. Behind him, fractured green stained-glass windows allow slivers of ghostly moonlight to spill across the crypt’s walls, enhancing the spectral atmosphere.
The vampire’s expression is timeless — part sorrow, part superiority — as if offering a silent toast to centuries of darkness, loss, and dominion over the dead.
Boeing and Jakarta-based Lion Air have finalized a firm order for 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next-Generation 737-900ERs (extended range). The agreement, first announced last November in Indonesia, also includes purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes.
With orders for 230 airplanes valued at $22.4 billion at list prices, this deal is the largest commercial airplane order ever in Boeing’s history by both dollar value and total number of airplanes. Lion Air will also acquire purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes.
Lion Air will be the first airline in Asia to fly the 737 MAX and is the global launch customer for the 737 MAX 9, shown here in an artist rendering
Boeing provides this photo for the public to share. Media interested in high-resolution images for publication should email boeingmedia@boeing.com or visit boeing.mediaroom.com. Users may not manipulate or use this photo in commercial materials, advertisements, emails, products, or promotions without licensed permission from Boeing. If you are interested in using Boeing imagery for commercial purposes, email imagelicensing@boeing.com or visit www.boeingimages.com.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Phostoshop and Photoscape X
He was not made for war. He was made for judgment.
Zer’Kul Marr is a remnant of a proto-faction that predates even the Dominion and the Syntax. Genetically engineered and augmented by extinct elder species, he is one of the few beings allowed to travel between networks, empires, and timelines without allegiance — acting as an autonomous agent of correction and collapse.
His neural matrix is linked to an ancient adjudication protocol known as Directive Orphos, a system that only awakens when interstellar equilibrium is threatened by forces beyond rational containment. When two forces like Commander Vesh and Vor’Xan Threl collide, Zer’Kul watches — not to interfere, but to decide who may continue existing.
Done in Ai, Finalized in Photoshop
Fanart inspired by Fire Sea (The Death Gate Cycle, Book 3)
This piece captures the moment Alfred — driven by grief and desperation — casts the forbidden resurrection spell in Fire Sea, the third book of The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Surrounded by the crumbling remnants of Sartan magic and a world gasping its final breath, Alfred reaches into the heart of arcane power, calling his beloved Jera back from beyond the veil.
The vortex of fire, shadow, and soul-magic swirling around him reflects the chaos he unleashes: a radiant storm of life energy torn from the underworld. But such power is not without cost — for what returns is not truly living. The Lazar rises: conscious, cursed, and caught forever between the mortal and the damned.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the model, the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Me 309 project began in mid-1940, just as the Bf 109 was having its first encounters with the Spitfire in the Battle of Britain, the first aircraft to match the 109 in speed and performance. Already, Messerschmitt anticipated the need for an improved design to replace the Bf 109. The Reich Air Ministry, however, did not feel the same urgency, with the project given a low priority, resulting in the design not being finalized until the end of 1941.
The new fighter had many novel features, such as tricycle landing gear (with a nose gear strut that twisted through 90° during retraction, to a "flat" orientation under the engine) and a pressurized cockpit, which would have given it more comfortable and effective high-altitude performance. Each of the new features was first tested on a number of Bf 109F airframes, the V23 having a ventral radiator, the V31 with a radiator and tricycle landing gear, and the V30 having a pressurized cockpit.
Low government interest in the project delayed completion of the first prototype until spring 1942, and trouble with the nose wheel pushed back the 309's first flight to July. When it did fly, the Me 309's performance was satisfactory – about 50 km/h (30 mph) faster than a standard Bf 109G – but not exemplary. In fact, the Bf 109G could out-turn its intended replacement. With the addition of armament, the aircraft's speed decreased to an unacceptable level. In light of its poor performance and the much more promising development of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190D, the Me 309 in its original form was canceled.
However, the design was not dead and eventually found its way into the Me 509 (with a mid-engine layout) and the Me 609 (a heavy fighter which joined two Me 309 fuselages with a new centre wing section). By the time designs were being ironed out in the course of 1943, revolutionary turbojet engines became operational and with them new designs like the Me 262 or the He 162. These promised superior performance concerning speed, but they had only a short range and the new turbojets’ reliability was poor.
In another attempt to keep the Me 309 alive, Franz Hirschleitner, a young engineer who had formerly worked for Blohm & Voss, proposed the addition of a turbojet engine to the piston fighter as a booster. This would combine the range and reliability of the old technology with the new engine’s potential gain of speed. Having worked on the innovative Bv 141 reconnaissance aircraft before, Hirschleitner proposed an unusual solution for the Me 309 update: since as many original parts of the fighter were to be retained (what ruled out a redesign of the fuselage to carry the turbojet engine), he presented an asymmetrical layout which added a new pod with the cockpit, the armament and an underslung BMW 003 turbojet, which was connected to the Me 309 fuselage with a short wing. The Me 309 fuselage itself was virtually identical with the original fighter, just the weapons had been deleted from it (saving weight) and the former cockpit was faired over, the internal space being used for additional fuel tanks. The outer wings were taken from the Me 309, too, except for a reinforced landing gear which now retracted outwards, so that the aircraft’s track width was kept in acceptable limits. The front wheel still retracted into the Me 309 fuselage.
This aircraft, called the Me 309 T (for “Turbine” = jet engine), was envisioned as a heavy single-seat fighter, armed with four 30 mm cannon. Hardpoints under the middle wing section allowed an external ordnance of 1.000 kg (2.202 lb), including two bombs of up to 500 kg (1.100 lb) caliber each or two 300l drop tanks. Furthermore, the cockpit pod was large enough to add a second crew member under an extended canopy, so that the type could also be developed into a night fighter with a radar.
Despite initial skepticism at the Messerschmitt design bureau, Hirschleitner’s proposal was accepted and presented to the RLM in late 1943. Not surprisingly, it was rejected at first for being “too innovative”. Nevertheless, growing pressure from the Allied forces made the RLM reconsider the Hirschleitner design, since it was based on existing components and could be quickly realized. Therefore, the Me 309 T was ordered into production as the T-0 version in Spring 1944. From these initial aircraft, 12 were produced until August 1944 and used for field tests and conversion training. The T-0 was powered by a DB 603G and a BMW 003C and armed with four MK 108 machine cannon. These initial frontline tests lasted until December 1945 and the aircraft was ordered into full production as the T-1.
Just as the first production machines left the factories in April 1945, an upgraded variant, the T-2, was introduced. It shared the same airframe as the earlier variants but had an upgraded turbojet engine, a BMW 003D, which offered 10.76 kN (2,420 lbf) of thrust instead of the former 8.81 kN (1,980 lbf), together with improved reliability. The armament was upgraded, too: Two of the MK 108s were replaced by MK 103 30 mm machine cannon, a weapon that offered a much higher range and penetration power, so that the aircraft could fire effectively while keeping outside of the Allied bombers' defensive fire, which now frequently entered German airspace. Furthermore a Rüstsatz (R1) was introduced which put two additional MK 108 behind the cockpit, firing obliquely upwards as "schräge Musik" .
Despite the acceptable performance, which made it superior to pure piston-driven fighters of the time like the Republic P-47 or the North American P-51D, the Me 309 T was not very popular among the pilots. The handling on the ground was difficult, not only because of the offset front wheel, but also due to the fact that the left fuselage blocked almost the complete portside field of view. This flaw also created a significant blind spot during flight. Furthermore, getting the Me 309 T into the air without the support from the jet engine could be a gamble, too, esp. when the machine carried external loads. The BMW 003D, even though its reliability had been improved over time, was prone to failure, and the resulting lack of thrust made it a dead weight that severely hampered the aircraft's performance. All in all, only 123 machines were eventually built, with no two-seat night fighter or a trainer ever produced.
General characteristics:
Crew: one
Length: 9.46 m (31 ft 0 in)
Wingspan: 13.60 m (44 ft 7 in)
Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 21.1 m² (226 sq ft)
Empty weight: 3,795 kg (8,367 lb)
Gross weight: 6,473 kg (14,271 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 7,130 kg (15,719 lb)
Powerplant:
1× Daimler-Benz DB 603G inverted V-12 liquid-cooled piston engine, 1,287 kW (1,726 hp)
1× BMW 003D (TL 109-003) turbojet with 10.76 kN (2,420 lbf) / 10,000 rpm / sea level
Performance:
Maximum speed: 840 km/h (522 mph, 464 kn) with both powerplants
695 km/h (431 mph, 383 kn) with the DB 603G only
Cruise speed: 665 km/h (413 mph, 359 kn)
Range: 1,100 km (680 mi, 590 nmi)
Service ceiling: 12,000 m (39,000 ft)
Wing loading: 256 kg/m2 (52 lb/sq ft)
Power/mass: 0.31 kW/kg (0.19 hp/lb)
Armament:
2× 30 mm (.1.181 in) MK 103 cannon
2× 30 mm (.1.181 in) MK 108 cannon
Underwing hardpoints for a total external ordnance of 1.000 kg (2.202 lb)
The kit and its assembly:
This model went through a prolonged development phase. It is based on the question whether an asymmetrical Blohm & Voss design could be made compact enough for a fighter aircraft? Aircraft like the Bv 141 reconnaissance aircraft (which actually flew) or the P-194 attack aircraft (which only existed as a paper project) were considerably bigger than typical single seat fighters.
While doing legwork I also found the relatively compact Blohm & Voss P-197 project in literature, which already came closer to my idea - I initally planned to build something along its lines, based on a Revell P-194 kit, but the latter turned out to be too big for this plan and I shelved the idea again.
However, the projected lingered in the back of my mind and was soon revived through the idea of using a Fw 190D fuselage as an alternative. But, alas, I still did not find the affair to be convincing enough for a build, also because of conceptual problems with the landing gear.
Then I eventually stumbled upon a HUMA Me 609 in the stash and considered a "modernized" asymmetrical layout with a tricycle landing gear. And this became the Me 309T.
It sounds so simple: take an aircraft model and add the cockpit pod, together with a new wing middle section. But turning this plan into hardware caused serious headaches. The biggest issue became the landing gear: the only space to stow the main landing gear would be the outer wings. Bu using the original Me 309 landing gear, which retracted inwards and already had a wide track, was impossible. So I decided to "reverse" the landing gear wells for an outward-retracting arrangement. Easier said than done, because the thin Me 309 wings come as single pieces in the HUMA kit: I had to cut out the complete well section on each wing, switch it around and re-sculpt the wings' profiles and surfaces. A lot of work!
The Me 309 fuselage was built OOB and I used the cockpit cover that comes with the Me 609 kit. The Bv P-194 cockpit pod with the jet engine was built OOB, too, but the wing attachment points had to be heavily re-sculpted because the P-194's wings are much deeper and thicker than the Me 309's. For the same reason I could not use the P-194's mid wing section - I had to scratch one from a leftover section of a VEB Plasticart 1:100 An-12, styrene sheet and putty. Messy affair, but at least it matches the outer Me 309 wings in shape and thickness.
A lot of putty was furthermore needed to finish the Me 309 fuselage and re-build all the wing/fuselage intersections. The HUMA Me 309 is a very basic affair, and fit as well as detail are mediocre, putting it in a polite fashion. The Revell P-194 is a little better, but it has many doubtful details like a pilot seat and canopy for pygmies or a poorly fitting jet exhaust section.
Thanks to the wing surgery, the Me 309's OOB landing gear could be retained - it looks pretty stalky, though, and the front wheel strut comes very close to the propeller disc.
Sice the HUMA Me 609 does not come with separate stabilizers I finally had to improvise again: I initially considered and asymmetrical layout (somewhat compensating for the cockpit pod on the starboard side with and extended span at port side), but when I saw how close the fuselages were, I settled upon an enlarged, convetional layout in the form of stabilizers from a Heller He 112.
Painting and markings:
This caused some headaches, too. I did not want a "conventional" late WWII Luftwaffe scheme, even though I wanted to use standard RLM colors. I eventually found inspiration in Me 262 recce aircraft, which frequently featured a unique paint scheme in the form of an overall RLM 76 livery onto which very fine dots or ondulating, thin lines in one or more darker contrast colors (RLM 81 and/or 83) were painted or sprayed. At first In wanted to adapt this scheme to the whole aircraft, but eventually decided to give the wings' upper surfaces a different, more "planar" scheme.
So, the whole model initially received and overall coat of RLM 76 (Humbrol 247), with the wings' undersides left in bare metal and the rudders painted in a greenish-grey primer. The cover of the DB 603 was kept in bare metal, too.
Contrast areas in RLM 81 and 83 (Braunviolett and Dunkelgrün, both from ModelMaster's Authentic line) were added onto the top of the wings, while I painted the fuselages and the fin with a semi-translucent "snake" pattern in RLM 82 (Humbrol 102).
The decals come from a Sky Models Fw 190A/F sheet, the crosses on the fuselage and under the wings come from a generic TL Modellbau sheet.
The cockpit interior as well as the landing gear wells were painted in very dark grey (Revell 09), while the landing gear struts became RLM 02 (Revell 45). The spinner received a black-and-white spiral, with black green propeller blades.
Well, I am not 100% happy with the result. While the overall model looks quite balanced, I am not happy with the finish - partly due to the massive use of putty and the fact that I had to mount parts in a fashion that the kits' manufacturers never expected to happen, but also due to the paint: The Humbrol enamels that I used turned out to be from the poor batch when the fabrication was moved to Belgium a while ago. With the result of a poor and gooey quality. That could have gone better. :-(
Nevertheless, I like the odd look of the asymmetrical design, esp. with the tricycle landing gear. From certain angles, the model looks really weird! And I am amazed how good the camouflage works - it's really disruptive.