Olympus digital camera

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www.vintagegaragedoor.com (VGD) creates hand-made Seattle custom garage doors with true divided lites; including 4-layer insulated paint or stain grade with wood species of choice. VGD builds doors to last for 25+ years using superior materials and craftsmanship. VGD does not charge extra for custom work as each door is hand-built one at a time. To protect your work of art, VGD provides professional finishing services. Your investment in my superior custom hand-made garage doors will save you money! Knowledgeable and informed shoppers are avoiding the regret of spending thousands of dollars on doors built to fail.

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To keep the house warm over the winter, we put insulation on most of the windows. This means it's a lot harder to see outside (some windows are set up so we can still see out) but when the sun shines directly on the window, the colors of the insulation are actually quite pretty... This is a window that is split between the aisle and the stairs (this is an "interesting" house). We closed to the door to the stairway to keep the cats from going upstairs where it's a lot cooler.

These now unused insulators are all along the side of this building and continue on a building across the street. A part of the history of Old Town Lansing.

American lunch container that's supposed to keep cold things cold in the bottom section (with a built-in cold pack), and hot things hot in the top section (the top is insulated and microwaveable). Top holds 12 fl oz of soup, bottom holds 2 cups of salad, and the lid to the bottom section has a built-in salad dressing dispenser that holds 2Tb. Exploded view here, and fully assembled view here (with carry strap). Got it for $15 at Bed Bath & Beyond. For my blog. EDIT: Not recommended as the gel circle broke/leaked upon second freezing (and others on Amazon reported the same problem).

This is a 40’ Canadian National insulated boxcar. This boxcar was built right at the end of 1959 and is distinct for having a plug door.

Title / Titre :

An insulating and fire-resistant asbestos suit used in firefighting, made by the American H.W. Johns-Manville Corporation /

Vêtement ignifuge et isolant en amiante, utilisé pour combattre les incendies, fabriqué par la société américaine H.W. Johns-Manville

Creator(s) / Créateur(s) : Unknown / Inconnu

Date(s) : November 27, 1940 / 27 novembre 1940

Reference No. / Numéro de référence : MIKAN 3581696

collectionscanada.gc.ca/ourl/res.php?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&...

Location / Lieu : Unknown / Inconnu

Credit / Mention de source :

Canada. Department of National Defence. Library and Archives Canada, PA-063766 /

Canada. Ministère de la défense nationale. Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, PA-063766

Edward Cullinan Architects Ltd., 1996-99. UEL, London Borough of Newham.

(CC BY-SA which means anyone can freely use this image file anywhere, provided accompanied by the credit: Images George Rex)

India’s Foreign Policy

(Delhi University, 19 January 2009)

S.Menon

Prof. Deepak Paintal, Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi

Dr. S.K. Tandon, Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi

Thank you for asking me to speak to you today on India’s Foreign

Policy. It is an honour and intimidating to be asked back to one’s alma

mater. It has been thirty-nine years since I left Delhi University and it is

impressive that it looks much better than my memory of it.

I thought that I would try to discuss what foreign policy is, then speak

of independent India’s experience of conducting foreign policy, and finally

try to foresee what our foreign policy may look like in future. After that I

would be most interested in hearing your views and comments.

What is Foreign Policy?

The hardest question for a professional diplomat like me to answer is,

“What is it that you actually do?” The simple answer is that we implement

the country’s foreign policy. Which invariably invites the question, “What is

foreign policy?”

Perhaps the simplest definition of foreign policy is that it is the

attempt by a state to maximize its national interest in the external or

international environment. Even this simple definition suggests some of the

complexity of this attempt. The definition assumes a commonly agreed

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definition of the national interest in the country. This is not always true.

Secondly, foreign policy is an ends and means problem, a problem of

achieving certain national goals with the limited means available. Unlike

domestic policy, the attempt to attain one’s goals has to be made in an

environment which is largely outside of one’s own control. Thirdly, and

again unlike domestic policy, this attempt is made in competition with other

states who are seeking the same goals for themselves, sometimes at your

expense. For instance, if any one state in the international system attains

absolute security for itself, there would be absolute insecurity for every

other state in the world. So merely maximizing one’s own interest

competitively will not suffice. One needs to include some measure of

cooperation, or at least of alliance building or working together. Of the two

basic goals of the state, security and prosperity, one, security, is often

presented as a zero sum game. The other, prosperity, requires states to

cooperate with each other. Both goals can therefore pull one’s foreign

policy in opposite directions.

And this competition and cooperation with other states to maximize

one’s own interests takes place in a perpetually changing external

environment and while the states themselves gain and lose relative and

absolute power. As they change, states change or modify their definitions

of national interest. Even the domestic mainsprings of external policy shift.

Some factors that one expects to remain constant undergo change. History

is redefined continuously by all political systems. And immutable facts of

geography are made less or more relevant by advances in technology and

ideology. This is why attempts to analyze foreign policy require the use of

dynamic concepts like the balance of power, game theory, and such like.

For a practitioner or diplomat, it is in the analysis and working of

these changes that the opportunities, threats and joys of diplomacy and

foreign policy lie. My generation has been fortunate in having lived through

the fastest ever period of change in India’s history. For a diplomat, it has

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been an amazing transformation of India, its place in the world, and the

foreign policy that we can now aspire to practice.

Let us look at the Indian foreign policy experience.

The Beginnings

There have been diplomats and diplomacy since time immemorial. By

some accounts Hanuman was our first Ambassador to Sri Lanka and

Krishna one of our first known envoys. But foreign policy as it is now

understood is a function of the modern state system. One can therefore

legitimately speak of late medieval Indian foreign policy. But just when the

modern Westphalian state system, based on the nation state, came into

existence in the eighteenth century, India was losing the attributes of

sovereignty and her capacity for an independent foreign policy. So long as

India was not an independent actor on the world stage, imperial British

interests prevailed over Indian interests. When strong personalities like

Curzon tried to assert what they saw as Indian interests, as he did in 1904

by sending Younghusband on his Tibetan expedition, London rapidly reined

him in, forcing him to give up his gains in the Chumbi valley and Tibet in

order to preserve the overall British interest in keeping China on her side

against the Russians. So, while the Government of India had a Foreign and

Political Department from 1834 onwards, its primary functions were to deal

with the Indian princes, (as representative of the paramount power), and to

handle British-Indian commercial and mercantile interests in the Gulf and

the immediate neighborhood of India.

The unintended benefit from this absence of an indigenous foreign

policy tradition became apparent when the freedom movement began to

think of national issues. As early as 1927 it was possible for Jawaharlal

Nehru to start describing a purely Indian view of the world. In July 1938,

when it was highly unfashionable to do so, he was speaking of both

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fascism and imperialism in the same breath, refusing to choose between

them, and to start saying what India’s foreign policy would be. By January

1947, these thoughts had coalesced in a letter to KPS Menon into a

doctrine, non-alignment, which seemed best designed to meet independent

India’s needs in the bipolar world she found herself in. Nehru said:

“Our general policy is to avoid entanglement in power politics and not

to join any group of powers as against any other group. The two

leading groups today are the Russian bloc and the Anglo-American

bloc. We must be friends to both and yet not join either. Both America

and Russia are extraordinarily suspicious of each other as well as of

other countries. This makes our path difficult and we may well be

suspected by each of leaning towards the other. This cannot be

helped.”

At Independence

When India became independent in 1947, our economy had not

grown for over fifty years, while population was growing at over 3% a year.

The average Indian could expect to live for 26 years, and only 14% of

Indians could read. What had once been one of the richest, most advanced

and industrialized nations in the world had been reduced by two centuries

of colonialism into one of the poorest and most backward countries, deindustrialized

and stagnant. From accounting along with China for twothirds

of world industrial production in 1750, by 1947 India’s share of world

industrial product was negligible.

It was therefore natural and clear that the primary purpose of

independent India’s foreign policy was to enable the domestic

transformation of India from a poor and backward society into one which

could offer its people their basic needs and an opportunity to achieve their

potential. And this had to be attempted in the Cold War world, divided

between two heavily armed and hostile camps, each led by a superpower,

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and each saying that if you were not with them you were against them. It

took courage and vision to choose, as Nehru and the leadership did then,

not to join either camp and to opt for non-alignment, to retain the choice to

judge each issue on its merits and on how it affected India’s interests rather

than those of an alliance or its leaders. Having fought so hard for our

freedom, we were not ready to abdicate our independence of judgment to

others.

India’s immediate foreign policy objectives in 1947 were therefore a

peaceful environment, strategic space and autonomy, free of entanglement

in Cold War conflicts or alliances, while we concentrated on our domestic

tasks of integration and nation building. Non-alignment, as this policy came

to be called was the ability to judge issues on their merits and their effect

on India’s interests or, as our first Prime Minister Nehru used to say,

‘enlightened self-interest’. Indian nationalism has not been based on a

shared language or common religion or ethnic identity. As we sought to

build a plural, democratic, secular and tolerant society of our own, it was

natural that we would look for and promote the same values abroad.

Our foreign policy experience can probably be divided into three

broad roughly twenty year periods: 1950-1971, 1971-1991 and 1991

onwards till today.

1950-1971

Non-alignment as a policy was a practical and strategic choice, but

was soon put to the test by the alliances. It was denounced by John Foster

Dulles as immoral, and Stalin had strong words to say about it too. Our

neighbours were rapidly enrolled in the competing alliance systems – China

by the Soviet Union and Pakistan by the US.

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Our attempt was to enlarge the area of peace, of those states willing

to coexist peacefully despite ideological and other differences, enabling us

to concentrate on our own development. Hence the very early summoning

of the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in March 1947, our

activism at the Bandung Afro-Asian conference, our reliance on the UN,

and the institutionalization of the Non-Aligned movement in the sixties.

Throughout this early period, our means were limited, our goals were

primarily domestic, and our aspirations were local. The foreign policy

challenges that we faced, such as having a border with China for the first

time in our history after China moved into Tibet, could not be addressed

with any tools other than diplomacy because of the simple fact that we had

no others. Our primary focus was domestic, and at no stage in this period

did we spend more than 3% of our GDP on defence. It was this desire to

escape external distractions that accounts for some of the tactical choices

in handling issues like the India-China boundary, resulting in the short but

sharp and salutary conflict of 1962.

Our preoccupations were with the consequences of Partition and the

uniquely complicated birth of the independent Indian state. The J&K issue

itself, which was with us from the birth of the Republic of India, was one

consequence of that birth. One of our first tasks was also to compress into

a few years what history takes centuries to do for most other states –

agreeing and settling boundaries with our neighbours. In a major diplomatic

achievement, we agreed all our land boundaries except those with China

(and between Pakistan and our state of J&K) within thirty years. We have

also agreed all our maritime boundaries except for those with Pakistan in

Sir Creek and Bangladesh.

1971-1991

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By the early seventies, the steady development of India, (which even

at 3.5% p.a. was faster than that achieved by Britain for most of her

industrial revolution), had created capacities and relative strengths that

were dramatically revealed in the 1971 war. The liberation of Bangladesh

was equally a liberation for India. For the first time in centuries, India had

on her own and without relying on external imperial power crafted a political

outcome in our neighborhood, despite the opposition of a superpower and

a large and militarized neighbor. That we could do so was also tribute to

Mrs. Indira Gandhi’s political skills and willingness to take risks. The

diplomatic task was primarily to hold the ring internationally by winning over

public opinion for a just cause and averting actions by others which would

prevent us from assisting the birth of Bangladesh.

Soon thereafter, in 1974 India tested a nuclear explosive device, in

what was described as a peaceful nuclear explosion (PNE). The world led

by the Nuclear Weapon States reacted by forming a nuclear cartel, the

Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), and by cutting off nuclear cooperation with

India unless she agreed to forego a nuclear weapons programme and put

all her nuclear facilities under international safeguards to guarantee that

commitment. As the nuclear weapon states were not willing to do the same

themselves, we refused to do so, suffering the consequences of technology

denial regimes for our growth and development. But at that stage we

lacked the relative power or capability to do more than to suffer in silence

while keeping our options open. (This in itself was more than most other

states managed).

1991-2009

The true realization of our foreign policy potential had to wait for the

end of the bipolar world in 1989 and our economic reform policies, opening

up the Indian economy to the world. Historically speaking, India has been

most prosperous and stable when she has been most connected with the

rest of the world.

8

In many ways, the period after 1991 has been the most favorable to

our quest to develop India. The post Cold War external environment of a

globalizing world, without rival political alliances, gave India the opportunity

to improve relations with all the major powers. The risk of a direct conflict

between two or more major powers had also diminished due to the

interdependence created by globalization. And the strength of capital and

trade flows was directly beneficial to emerging economies like India, China

and others. We saw the evolving situation as one in which there is an

opportunity for India. The consistent objective of our foreign policy was and

remains poverty eradication and rapid and inclusive economic

development. If we are to eradicate mass poverty by 2020, we need to

keep growing our economy at 8-10% each year. This requires a peaceful

and supportive global environment in general and a peaceful periphery in

particular. The period since 1991 has therefore seen a much more active

Indian engagement with the neighbours, whether through repeated

attempts by successive governments to improve relations with Pakistan, or

the border related CBMs with China, or free trade agreements with

neighbours starting with Sri Lanka in 1998, or the Ganga Waters Treaty

with Bangladesh.

The period since 1991 has been a period of remarkable change in the

scale of our ambitions, and in our capacity to seek to achieve them. The

international situation made possible the rapid development of our

relationships with each of the major powers. Equally important was

another necessary condition which gave India space to work in: India’s

rapid economic and social transformation. As a result of twenty five years

of 6% growth and our reforms since 1991, India is today in a position to

engage with the world in an unprecedented manner. Our engagement with

the global economy is growing rapidly, with trade in goods and services

now exceeding US$ 330 billion. Our needs from the world have changed,

as has our capability. India can do and consider things that we could not do

or consider twenty years ago. This is reflected in how India perceives its

9

own future, its ties with its neighbourhood and its approach to the larger

international order.

The contrast between the world’s reaction to the 1974 and 1998

nuclear tests is instructive. And finally in 2008 we were able not only to

break out of our nuclear isolation but to rewrite the rules in our favour by

working with others to enable the NSG decision permitting international civil

nuclear cooperation with India.

Today’s World

Today, however, it seems that we may be on the cusp of another

change in the nature of the world situation. Looking at the world from India,

it often seems that we are witness to the collapse of the Westphalian state

system and a redistribution in the global balance of power leading to the

rise of major new powers and forces. The twin processes of the world

economic crisis and economic inter-dependence have resulted in a

situation where Cold War concepts like containment have very little

relevance and where no power is insulated from global developments. The

interdependence brought about by globalization imposes limits beyond

which tensions among the major powers are unlikely to escalate. But

equally, no one power can hope to solve issues by itself, no matter how

powerful it is. What seems likely, and is in fact happening in Iraq,

Afghanistan and elsewhere, is that major powers come together to form

coalitions to deal with issues where they have a convergence of interests,

despite differences on other issues or in broader approach. In other words,

what we see is the emergence of a global order marked by the

preponderance of several major powers, with minimal likelihood of direct

conflict amongst these powers, but where both cooperation and

competition among them are intense. The result is a de-hyphenation of

relationships with each other, of each major power engaging with and

competing with all the others, in a situation that might perhaps be described

as “general un-alignment”.

10

Paradoxically, some of the same forces of globalization – the

evolution of technology, the mobility of capital and so on – which have led

to the decline or collapse of the Westphalian state order are also the

source of our greatest dangers. Our major threats today are from non-state

actors, from trans-boundary effects of the collapse of the state system, or,

at least, of its inadequacy.(Paradoxically, the doctrine of absolute

sovereignty created by the strong European states and rulers in earlier

centuries is now the last defence of the weak against the strong.)

Looking ahead, the real factors of risk that threaten systemic stability

come from larger, global issues like terrorism, energy security and

environmental and climate change. With globalization and the spread of

technology, threats have also globalised and now span borders. These are

issues that will impact directly on India’s ability to grow and expand our

strategic autonomy. It is also obvious that no single country can deal with

these issues alone. They require global solutions.

International Terrorism

Among these global threats, international terrorism remains a major

threat to peace and stability. We in India have directly suffered the

consequences of the linkages and relationships among terrorist

organizations, support structures and funding mechanisms, centered upon

our immediate neighborhood, and transcending national borders. Any

compromise with such forces, howsoever pragmatic or opportune it might

appear momentarily, only encourages the forces responsible for terrorism.

Large areas abutting India to the west have seen the collapse of state

structures and the absence of governance or the writ of the state, with the

emergence of multiple centres of power. The results, in the form of

terrorism, extremism and radicalism are felt by us all in India.

11

Energy Security

As for energy security, this is one issue which combines an ethical

challenge to all societies with an opportunity to provide for the energy so

necessary for development. For India, clean, convenient and affordable

energy is a critical necessity if we are to improve the lives of our people.

Today, India’s per-capita energy consumption is less than a third of the

global average. (Our per capita consumption is only 500 kgoe compared to

a global average of nearly 1800 kgoe). For India a rapid increase in energy

use per capita is imperative to realize our national development goals.

Global warming and climate change require all societies to work

together. While the major responsibility for the accumulation of green

house gasses in the atmosphere lies with the developed countries, its

adverse affects are felt most severely by developing countries like India.

When we speak of ‘shared responsibility’, it must include the international

community’s shared responsibility to ensure the right to development of the

developing countries. Development is the best form of adaptation to climate

change.

What we seek is equitable burden-sharing. We have made it clear

that India will not exceed the average of per capita GHG emissions by the

industrialized countries, as we continue to pursue the growth and

development that our people need.

Also, the transfer and access to clean technologies by developing

countries, as global public goods on the lines of what was done for

retrovirals to fight AIDS, is essential to effectively limit future GHG

emissions. The IPR regime should include collaborative R&D and the

sharing of the resulting IPRs.

12

The Future

I have tried to show you how great the change and flux in India’s

foreign policy has been within my own lifetime. In 1948, waving expansively

at a map of the world, Nehru exclaimed to a young Indian Foreign Service

officer, “We will have forty missions around the world!”. Today we have one

hundred and sixteen Embassies abroad.

If our foreign policy experience teaches us one thing it is that change

is inevitable and rapid. There is hardly an international boundary between

two states that is where it was two hundred years ago. The speed of the

rise of China and India in the last quarter of the twentieth century is proof of

the rapidity of change. Since the balance of power is relative, small shifts

have exaggerated effects on the international system.

India’s foreign policy today no longer deals only with existential

threats to our security or with subsistence issues. Today our future will be

determined by how effectively we adapt to change, and how we deal with

cross-cutting global issues, with questions of energy security, water, low

carbon growth, technology issues and so on. An open rule-based trading

system is in our interest now that we have sizeable equities in international

trade. We have moved from statements alone to working for and crafting

desirable outcomes.

After several centuries, once again the state is not the sole or

necessarily the predominant actor in the international system. In some

cases, like technology, for instance, it is businesses and individuals who

now determine the future, and it is these units that a successful foreign

policy must now increasingly deal with.

13

If we are to deal with this new world and new issues, it is essential

that we begin to develop our own culture and tradition of strategic thought.

So long as India’s situation and needs are unique, it becomes essential that

we develop our own strategic culture, vocabulary and doctrine. Fortunately

for us, there is no isolationist streak in our strategic thought so far. As I

have said before, India’s best periods in history have been when we were

most connected to the world. Ironically, the greater our capabilities, the

more we need the world and are integrated into it. So if anything, the joys

and challenges of Indian foreign policy will only grow with time.

Thank you,

--------

This large copper wire, sporting a beautiful green patina from years in the weather, runs along the outside of the main Edison building from ground to roof and is attached to several of these large porcelain insulators. At the top, on the roof, is a lightning rod. At the bottom, the wire is deeply embedded in the ground.

There were a few more of these along the length of the building. At one time, these buildings would have been the tallest structures in this area, so being struck by lighting, and the resulting possibility of fire, was a real concern.

So ends our series of the photos from the Thomas Edison National Historic Park in West Orange NJ.

An abandoned and emptied insulation plant, there were some machines/documents left around but generally a nice light explore.

Insulated lunch bag with wide base for carrying bento lunches flat (not on their sides). Bought at the Sanrio store in Stonestown Mall in San Francisco for $15.

takeshiyamada.weebly.com/

The Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus americanus) of Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York – This unique sea-dwelling rabbit, which is actually a close relative of the sea lion, was officially discovered and investigated by Henry Hudson when he first visited this land to colonize the area by order of the Dutch government. It was named New Amsterdam -- today’s New York City. This island was named after he saw the beach covered with strange swimming wild rabbits. The word “Coney Island” means “wild rabbit island” in Dutch (originally Conyne Eylandt, or Konijneneiland in modern Dutch spelling). Sea rabbits were also referred mermaid rabbit, merrabbit, rabbit fish or seal rabbit in the natural history documents in the 17th century. The current conservation status, or risk of extinction, of the sea rabbit is Extinct in the Wild.

This website features two species of sea rabbits, which have been taken care of by Dr. Takeshi Yamada (山田武司) at the Coney Island Sea Rabbit Repopulation Center, which is a part of the Marine biology department of the Coney Island University in Brooklyn, New York. They are – Coney Island Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus americanus) called “Seara” and Coney Island Tiger-striped Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus konjinicus) called “Stripes”.

The photographs and videos featured in this website chronicle adventures of the Coney Island sea rabbits and the world as seen by them. This article also documented efforts of Dr. Takeshi Yamada for bringing back the nearly extinct sea rabbits to Coney Island in the City of New York and beyond. Dr. Yamada produced a series of public lectures, workshops, original public live interactive fine art performances and fine art exhibitions about sea rabbits at a variety of occasions and institutions in the City of New York and beyond. Dr. Yamada is an internationally active educator, book author, wildlife conservationist and high profile artist, who lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

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Sea Rabbit

Other Common Names: Coney Island Sea Rabbit, Beach Rabbit, Seal Rabbit, mer-rabbit, merrabbit, Atlantic Sea Rabbit.

Latin Name: Monafluffchus americanus

Origin: Atlantic coast of the United States

Description of the specimen: In the early 17th century’s European fur craze drove the fleet of Dutch ships to the eastern costal area of America. Then Holland was the center of the world just like the Italy was in the previous century. New York City was once called New Amsterdam when Dutch merchants landed and established colonies. Among them, Henry Hudson is probably the most recognized individual in the history of New York City today. “This small island is inhabited by two major creatures which we do not have in our homeland. The one creature is a large arthropod made of three body segments: the frontal segment resembles a horseshoe, the middle segment resembles a spiny crab and its tail resembles a sharp sword. Although they gather beaches here in great numbers, they are not edible due to their extremely offensive odor. Another creature which is abundant here, has the head of wild rabbit. This animal of great swimming ability has frontal legs resemble the webbed feet of a duck. The bottom half of the body resembles that of a seal. This docile rabbit of the sea is easy to catch as it does not fear people. The larger male sea rabbits control harems of 20 to 25 females. The meat of the sea rabbit is very tender and tasty.” This is what Hadson wrote in his personal journal in 1609 about the horseshoe crab and the sea rabbit in today’s Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York. Sadly, just like the Dodo bird and the Thylacine, the sea rabbit was driven to extinction by the European settlers’ greed. When Dutch merchants and traders arrived here, sea rabbits were one of the first animals they hunted down to bring their furs to homeland to satisfy the fur craze of the time. To increase the shipment volume of furs of sea rabbit and beavers from New Amsterdam, Dutch merchants also started using wampum (beads made of special clam shells) as the first official currency of this country.

At the North Eastern shores of the United States, two species of sea rabbits were commonly found. They are Coney Island Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus americanus) and Coney Island Tiger-striped Sea Rabbit (Monafluffchus konjinicus). Sadly, due to their over harvesting in the previous centuries, their conservation status became “Extinct in the Wild” (ET) in the Red List Endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Currently, these sea rabbits are only found at breeding centers at selected zoos and universities such as Coney Island Aquarium and Coney Island University in Brooklyn, New York. The one shown in this photograph was named "Seara" and has been cared by Dr. Takeshi Yamada at Coney Island University.

The sea rabbit is one of the families of the Pinniped order. Pinnipeds (from Latin penna = flat and pes/pedis = foot) are sea-mammals: they are homeothermic (i.e having high and regulated inner temperature), lung-breathing (i.e dependant on atmospheric oxygen) animals having come back to semi aquatic life. As soon as they arrive ashore, females are caught by the nearest adult male. Males can maintain harems of about 20 females on average. Several hours to several days after arriving ashore, pregnant females give birth to eight to ten pups with a dark brown fur. As soon as birth occurs, the mother’s special smell and calls help her pups bond specifically to her. The mother stays ashore with her pup for about one week during which the pup gains weight. During the first week spent with her newborn, the mother becomes receptive. She will be impregnated by the bull, which control the harem. Implantation of the embryo will occur 3 months later, in March-April. During the reproductive period, the best males copulate with several tens females. To do so, males have to stay ashore without feeding in order to keep their territory and their harem. In mid-January, when the last females have been fecundated, males leave at sea to feed. Some of them will come back later in March-April for the moult. The other ones will stay at sea and will come back on Coney Island only in next November. After fecundation, the mother goes at sea for her first meal. At sea, mothers feed on clams, crabs, shrimps, fish (herring, anchovy, Pollock, capelin etc.) and squids. When she is back, the mother recovers her pups at the beach she left them. Suckling occurs after auditive and olfactory recognition had occured. In March-April, the dark brown fur is totally replaced by an adult-like light brownish grey fur during the moult that lasts 1-2 months. This new fur is composed by 2 layers. Externally, the guard fur is composed by flat hairs that recover themselves when wet. By doing so, they make a water-proof barrier for the under fur. The underfur retains air when the seal is dry. Because of isolating properties of the air, the underfur is the insulating system of the fur. In March-April, the fur of adults is partially replaced. First reproduction occurs at 1-yr old in females. Males are physiologically matures at 1 year old but socially matures at +2 years old.

NOTE: The name of Coney Island is commonly thought to be derived from the Dutch Konijn Eylandt or Rabbit Island as apparently the 17th century European settlers noted many rabbits running amuck on the island.

www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com/performances.html

www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com/sea-rabbit-center.html

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www.flickr.com/photos/searabbits23/

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit22

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit021/

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit20

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit19

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit18

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit17

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit16

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit15

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit14

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit13

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit12

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit11

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit10

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit9

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit8

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit7

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit6

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit5

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit4

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit3

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit2

www.flickr.com/photos/searabbit1

www.flickr.com/photos/diningwithsearabbits03

www.flickr.com/photos/diningwithsearabbits02

www.flickr.com/photos/diningwithsearabbits01

www.flickr.com/photos/yamadaimmortalized2/

www.flickr.com/photos/takeshiyamadaimmortalized/

www.flickr.com/photos/yamadabellhouse2014/

www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders3/

www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders2

www.flickr.com/photos/museumofworldwonders/

www.flickr.com/photos/takeshiyamadapaintings/

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For any questions, please email contact Takeshi Yamada, Art & Rogue Taxidermy, Museum of World Wonders, official website. www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com/

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www.takeshiyamada.weebly.com

For any questions, please contact Dr. Takeshi Yamada. His email address is posted in the chapter page (the last page or the first page).

(Updated April 7, 2015)

All puffed up against a cold spell... Normal high for today should be +13℃ but its only +4℃ with snow in the forecast... 8^((

Location: Cove, OR

Premier SIPs provided: 10" Roof Panels

Questions: www.pbssips.com/contact/sales/

OR visit us: www.pbssips.com

PROJECT DETAILS:

The Tight Knot Alder Wood Cabinets were made by Jeremy Hansen, owner of HANSEN'S CUSTOM MILLWORK, La Grande, OR. Jeremy specializes in custom cabinetry and furniture. The Countertop is WILSON ART laminate with Gem-Loc Premiere Edge made of Corian by Loti Corporation, an alternative to the standard laminate edging with square or beveled edges.

The Alder portable Island was made by Jason Hansen, owner of Rouge Fine Woodworking. Jason specilizes in "artistic" cabinets, furniture wood turning. Ginger got the idea from an old garden potting table that was pictured in a Log Home magazine. Dark strips on the maple top are walnut.

Tight Knot Alder was also used for door and window trim, base boards, & stair railing. All wood was stained with Benjamin Moore exterior semi-transpartent siding and deck stain. Howard's Feed-N-Wax was then hand rubbed on all the wood surfaces. The same wax will be used for dusting.

The kitchen sink is a Kohler 'smart sink' because the divider in the middle is lower that normal (about 3-4 inches high) which makes it easier to wash large pans with long handles and long cookie sheets, etc. It was hard to find a sink with only 2 holes (we actually wanted one with only one hole) and this style was about the only one available in a Kohler cast iron and we got to thinking that the smart sink was actually a very practical idea. The other hole in the right corner is for a soap dispenser.

The kitchen faucet is a Kohler pull out. We haven't installed the dishwasher or range yet because we will be moving the ones from the old house.

Pacific Energy near Victoria, BC is the manufacturer of the Cast Iron Wood Stove. It has a stainless steel hollow baffle box with a rear air supply tube to create secondary combustion. Thus far, fire wood usage is about half of what we normally burn. Take a look at www.pacificenergy.net if you have any interest in wood stoves or fireplace inserts. All their stoves are non-catalytic.

Floor tile is glazed porcelain from Home Depot.

The ceiling is 1x6 t&g Tight Knot Cedar that was stained with Benjamin Moore siding and deck stain before nailing it up to the Structural Insulated Paneled roof system by Premier Building Systems in Fife, Wa.

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

FRUIT GROWERS EXPRESS

Insulated Boxcar

CSXT 198994

ex-Solid Gold

This image is better viewed: LARGE

"NOT A SOLID COLD, BUT A SOLID GOLD!

During later years and subsequent changes in ownership, Solid Colds began to bare reporting marks such as SFLC, BNFE, ARMH and UPFE. These days, catching a Solid Cold is like finding a peice of hay in a needle stack. The majority of Solid Colds these days have been retired or upgraded/rebuilt under OT-37 or greater to make interchange rules. Rumor has it that many of the Solid Colds have been refurbished into the new UP Chilled Express cars. But that is another story. If anyone knows more on the whereabouts, history or even wants to trade photos of Solid Cold's feel free to drop me a line anytime."

- loadstone

Benched in Los Angeles County, CA

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

50-pound bag of a vintage asbestos insulation, labeled as: Baldwin-Erhet-Hill (BEH) #1 Plus Insulating Cement. Although not specifically indicated on the bag itself, this vintage insulation material was lab-tested and confirmed to contain asbestos.

BEH was formerly known as Erhet Magnesia Manufacturing Company and was later acquired by Keene Corporation, but evetually declared bankruptcy due to overwhelming asbestos lawsuits.

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

Insulated to minus 100C! U.K. Size 12 worn once on UK ebay

Insulated down jacket with a fully closed, zip-up hood. Stay warm in your own privacy!

Total enclosure from the waist up - pair with warm softshell bottoms knowing that you can always hide yourself away!

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

This is one cheap but effective way of connecting the wire to the laser tube pin.

The insulation needs to withstand 25000-40000V (depending on power supply). We use a combination of shrink tubing and hot glue.

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

Faced with the prospect of working outdoors in a Canadian winter, a fellow couldn't afford to take half-measures.

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

blogged :

yozocraft.blogspot.com/2014/01/kawaii-japanese-kokka-fabr...

An insulated flue reduces heat transfer between the pipe and chimney.

The outstanding metallic finish gives a contemporary look to the product. These Insulated Food Servers are the revolutionary way to keep hot food hot and cold food cold plus make a real fashion statement.

Product Code: PN-1106 & PN-1202

Available Size: 500ml, 1000ml, 2000ml, 3000, 6000ml

Packaging: 6 Sets & 1 Sets

Features of Pinnacle Metalic - 4pc Gift Pack of Insulated Thermal Casserole -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Innovative:

- Equally effective on hot and cold food

- Stainless steel lined bowls and foam insulation

- FDA approved

Problem Solver:

- Maintains the temperature of stored food for up to 6 hours

- Retain Aroma, Taste & Nutrition.

- Nested One inside other saves storage space.

Saving

- No heating of food on Stove & Microwave saves precious Energy & Time.

- Repeative heating of food on stove & microwave losses essential nutrition from food.

- Serve & Eat

- Go from the counter-top to table-top with one attractive serving dish

- Smaller containers cater to the working man or woman, and a hot meal can be enjoyed directly from the container.

- Can also be used as ice packs to store ice cream ,custards, jelly and salads

Versatile:

- Caters to families with staggered meal times.

- Use at home, picnics, tailgating, potluck dinners, holidays, or take lunch to work

Instruction to Use Pinnacle Metalic - Insulated Thermal Casserole ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------

- Wash before use. Do not use an abrasive cleaner. For cleaning purpose, wash with water and washing-up liquid.

- Do not use in a Traditional Oven, Microwave or on electrical hotplate and neither on gas.

- Not Microwave Safe

- Not Dishwasher Safe

- Do not separate the stainless steel bowl from the main body of container.

- For Better Result, Fill the container with hot water (for hot food) or cold water (for cold food). Later Empty the container and fill with prepared food. The food should be stored in the container immediately after cooking or directly from the refrigerator. If desired, wrap the food in aluminium foil for added insulation.

to know more thermoware and plastware products visit www.tokyoplast.com