This is one of the pictures I took of my first carnival in Venice. Shot with a Canon Eos 1000D (or Rebel XS or Kiss F, depending on where you live) on a sadly rainly day. Thankfully we had a gret day anyway, and in the afternoon some great masks showed up, despite the weather (it even snowed for some time).

I know this is a weird view, so please start by going large here: farm1.static.flickr.com/154/423010811_6c9c403c3f_o.jpg

I discovered this empty parking garage early one weekend morning in Birmingham.

Just wandering around, and it stopped me, the way it looked, empty at that time, reminded me of a 60's sci fi movie, like you could park your spaceship here!

A place where space and time was forgotten.

So This Is Christmas by John Lennon (Lyrics)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoMn8tURL_E&list=RDLoMn8tURL_...

Nikon Micro 45mm f/2.8 ED PC-E

www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/45mm-pc-e.htm

Barrington Court is a Tudor manor house begun c. 1538 and completed in the late 1550s, with a vernacular seventeenth-century stable court (1675), situated in Barrington, near Ilminster, Somerset, England. It was the first house acquired by the National Trust, in 1907, on the recommendation of the antiquarian Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley.

Barrington Court, once dated 1514 and considered an early example of a symmetrical front, was completed in the late 1550s for William Clifton, a London merchant who had been assembling a Somerset estate. Its central entry porch leads into a screens passage with the Hall on the left and, an innovation, a service passage leading to the kitchen wing that occupies the right wing. A symmetrically sited gatehouse (rebuilt) was set far forward of the house, to permit a full view of its symmetrical facade.

The interior of the house suffered from its demotion to a tenant farm, and from a fire in the early nineteenth century; after being almost derelict it was repaired under the supervision of Alfred Hoare Powell. Barrington Court was acquired by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in 1907 and was leased to Col. Lyle of Tate & Lyle in the 1920s. He and his wife turned the house around and refurbished the court house and renovated Strode House (built by William Strode in the 1600s) which was originally a stable and coach block. It was at this time that the Lyles contracted Gertrude Jekyll to design the three formal gardens on the property that are kept in beautiful condition by the head gardener.

Texture by pareeerica:

Grunge Chocolate:

www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/3173423766/

Explored 23.07.09 - #177

he is whatever he wants to be

he is a little of everything

mixed-up, so tough

in a beautiful way

he's got the world at his fingertips

he makes beauty look effortless

and i want everything he is.

merry christmas (:

two of my friends entered a contest to open for Parachute in North Carolina. you can sign in to vote for the link through Facebook, or you can create an account through topblip--it doesn't take more than a minute. (: if you can give them five music notes they can make it through to the next round; they're amazing! the link is here please vote! <3333

Coral trazido de Beberibe, Ceará. Trouxe-o da praia de MORRO BRANCO há muitos anos.

EXPLORE: flickr.com/explore/interesting/2007/03/05/page17/

Corals are marine animals of the class Anthozoa, which also includes the sea anemones (order Actiniaria).

Corals are gastrovascular marine cnidarians (phylum Cnidaria) and exist as small sea anemone-like polyps, typically in colonies of many individuals. The group includes the important reef builders known as hermatypic corals, found in tropical oceans, and belonging to the subclass Zoantharia of order Scleractinia. The latter are also known as stony corals since the living tissue thinly covers a skeleton composed of calcium carbonate. A coral "head" is formed of thousands of individual polyps, each polyp only a few millimeters in diameter. The colony of polyps function as a single organism by sharing nutrients via a well-developed gastrovascular network. Genetically, the polyps are clones, each having exactly the same genome. Each polyp generation grows on the skeletal remains of previous generations, forming a structure that has a shape characteristic of the species, but also subject to environmental influences.

Corals are major contributors to the physical structure of coral reefs that develop only in tropical and subtropical waters. Some corals exist in cold waters, such as off the coast of Norway (north to at least 69° 14.25' N) and the Darwin Mounds off western Scotland. The most extensive development of extant coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia. Indonesia is home to 581 of the world's 793 known coral reef-building coral species.

Font: Wikipedia

1974

The Marantz 4230 is created for stereo and 4 channel (Quadraphonic) sources. Marantz called the concept sonorous "Stereo 2 + Quadradial 4". Some quadro decoder systems are on board. For an optional SQ decoder, there is a recess in the base plate, it can simply docked.

The rated output of 2x40 watts or 4x17 watts was always outbid in tests thanks to the Marantz typical transformer dimension. For the good FM reception with the possibility of multipath signal evaluation is a high quality FM front end module responsible.

The versatile enabled receiver 4240 from the legendary first 70 series is true fun and gives an entirely sophisticated impression. It sounds like it's visual impression - great!

-

Der Marantz 4230 kann Stereo und 4-Kanal (Quadrofonie) Quellen wiedergeben. Marantz nannte das Konzept die klangvoll „Stereo 2 + Quadradial 4“. Einige Quadro Decodersysteme sind an Bord, für einen optionalen SQ-Decoder gibt es eine Aussparung im Bodenblech; er wird einfach angedockt.

Die Nennleistung von 2x40 Watt oder 4x17 Watt wurde in Tests Dank der Marantz-typischen Trafo-Dimension stets locker überboten. Für den guten FM-Empfang mit Möglichkeit zur Multipath Signal Bewertung ist ein hochwertiges FM Frontend Modul verantwortlich.

Der vielseitig ausgestattete Receiver aus der legendären ersten 70er Baureihe macht Spass und vermittelt einen gänzlich wertigen Eindruck. Er klingt wie sein optischer Eindruck - Klasse!

The Chaffinch , Fringilla coelebs

The Chaffinch is the UK’s most common finch and sometimes overlooked and not fully appreciated despite being one of our most colourful garden visitors. the striking double white wing bars and primary and secondary wing feathers. Its summer plumage is brighter that its winter plumage. The male Chaffinch has a pink breast and cheeks, blue-grey crown and nape, and chestnut brown back. In summer, its bill is grey-blue, turning to pale brown in the winter. The female has an olive-brown back, and grey-brown underparts becoming almost white towards the rump, which is greenish. The juveniles are similar to the female but lack the greenish rump. The bill is brown in both the female and juveniles.

The Chaffinches build a neat cup nest from moss, grass, and feathers bound with spiders’ webs, lined with feathers and wool, and decorated with lichen and flakes of bark. The nest is usually in a fork of a tree or shrub.Breeding takes place from April to June with a clutch of four to five eggs.The eggs of the Chaffinch are about 20 mm by 15 mm in size, and are smooth, glossy, and light blue with purple-brown blotches. The duties of incubating the eggs are performed by the female. The newly-hatched young are fed by both adults.Chicks will normally fledge after around 15 days. Unlike most of our small passerines, chaffinches usually only have one brood a year.

Resident birds are mostly sedentary with juveniles moving only short distances from the place where they were hatched. Between September and March, the population increases with 10-20 million immigrants from Scandinavia and Western Europe looking for food. These birds are usually found in large flocks on open farmland, whereas resident British birds are usually in woodlands and hedgerows.

Read the full story at www.wildonline.blog

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The OV-10 Bronco was initially conceived in the early 1960s through an informal collaboration between W. H. Beckett and Colonel K. P. Rice, U.S. Marine Corps, who met at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, and who also happened to live near each other. The original concept was for a rugged, simple, close air support aircraft integrated with forward ground operations. At the time, the U.S. Army was still experimenting with armed helicopters, and the U.S. Air Force was not interested in close air support.

The concept aircraft was to operate from expedient forward air bases using roads as runways. Speed was to be from very slow to medium subsonic, with much longer loiter times than a pure jet. Efficient turboprop engines would give better performance than piston engines. Weapons were to be mounted on the centerline to get efficient aiming. The inventors favored strafing weapons such as self-loading recoilless rifles, which could deliver aimed explosive shells with less recoil than cannons, and a lower per-round weight than rockets. The airframe was to be designed to avoid the back blast.

The MV-10Hs are expected to provide support for these ground units in the form of all-weather reconnaissance and observation, close air support and also forward air control duties for supporting ground units. Precision ground strikes and protection from enemy helicopters and low-flying aircraft were other, secondary missions for the modernized Broncos, which are expected to serve well into the 2040s. Exports or conversions of foreign OV-10s to the Black Pony standard are not planned, though.

General characteristics:

Crew: 2

Length: 42 ft 2½ in (12,88 m) incl. pitot

Wingspan: 45 ft 10½ in(14 m) incl. tip sails

Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)

Wing area: 290.95 sq ft (27.03 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 64A315

Empty weight: 9,090 lb (4,127 kg)

Gross weight: 13,068 lb (5,931 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 17,318 lb (7,862 kg)

Powerplant:

2× General Electric CT7-9D turboprop engines, 1,305 kW (1,750 hp) each,

driving 8-bladed Hamilton Standard 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) diameter constant-speed,

fully feathering, reversible contra-rotating propellers with metal hub and composite blades

Performance:

Maximum speed: 390 mph (340 kn, 625 km/h)

Combat range: 198 nmi (228 mi, 367 km)

Ferry range: 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi, 2,200 km) with auxiliary fuel

Maximum loiter time: 5.5 h with auxiliary fuel

Service ceiling: 32.750 ft (10,000 m)

13,500 ft (4.210 m) on one engine

Rate of climb: 17.400 ft/min (48 m/s) at sea level

Take-off run: 480 ft (150 m)

740 ft (227 m) to 50 ft (15 m)

1,870 ft (570 m) to 50 ft (15 m) at MTOW

Landing run: 490 ft (150 m)

785 ft (240 m) at MTOW

1,015 ft (310 m) from 50 ft (15 m)

Armament:

1x M197 3-barreled 20 mm Gatling cannon in a chin turret with 750 rounds ammo capacity

7x hardpoints for a total load of 5.000 lb (2,270 kg)

2x wingtip launch rails for AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs

The kit and its assembly:

This fictional Bronco update/conversion was simply spawned by the idea: could it be possible to replace the original cockpit section with one from an AH-1 Cobra, for a kind of gunship version?

The basis is the Academy OV-10D kit, mated with the cockpit section from a Fujimi AH-1S TOW Cobra (Revell re-boxing, though), chosen because of its “boxy” cockpit section with flat glass panels – I think that it conveys the idea of an armored cockpit section best. Combining these parts was not easy, though, even though the plan sound simple. Initially, the Bronco’s twin booms, wings and stabilizer were built separately, because this made PSR on these sections easier than trying the same on a completed airframe. One of the initial challenges: the different engines. I wanted something uprated, and a different look, and I had a pair of (excellent!) 1:144 resin engines from the Russian company Kompakt Zip for a Tu-95 bomber at hand, which come together with movable(!) eight-blade contraprops that were an almost perfect size match for the original three-blade props. Biggest problem: the Tu-95 nacelles have a perfectly circular diameter, while the OV-10’s booms are square and rectangular. Combining these parts and shapes was already a messy PST affair, but it worked out quite well – even though the result rather reminds of some Chinese upgrade measure (anyone know the Tu-4 copies with turboprops? This here looks similar!). But while not pretty, I think that the beafier look works well and adds to the idea of a “revived” aircraft. And you can hardly beat the menacing look of contraprops on anything...

The exotic, so-called “tip sails” on the wings, mounted on short booms, are a detail borrowed from the Shijiazhuang Y-5B-100, an updated Chinese variant/copy of the Antonov An-2 biplane transporter. The booms are simple pieces of sprue from the Bronco kit, the winglets were cut from 0.5mm styrene sheet.

For the cockpit donor, the AH-1’s front section was roughly built, including the engine section (which is a separate module, so that the basic kit can be sold with different engine sections), and then the helicopter hull was cut and trimmed down to match the original Bronco pod and to fit under the wing. This became more complicated than expected, because a) the AH-1 cockpit and the nose are considerably shorter than the OV-10s, b) the AH-1 fuselage is markedly taller than the Bronco’s and c) the engine section, which would end up in the area of the wing, features major recesses, making the surface very uneven – calling for massive PSR to even this out. PSR was also necessary to hide the openings for the Fujimi AH-1’s stub wings. Other issues: the front landing gear (and its well) had to be added, as well as the OV-10 wing stubs. Furthermore, the new cockpit pod’s rear section needed an aerodynamical end/fairing, but I found a leftover Academy OV-10 section from a build/kitbashing many moons ago. Perfect match!

All these challenges could be tackled, even though the AH-1 cockpit looks surprisingly stout and massive on the Bronco’s airframe - the result looks stockier than expected, but it works well for the "Gunship" theme. Lots of PSR went into the new central fuselage section, though, even before it was mated with the OV-10 wing and the rest of the model.

Once cockpit and wing were finally mated, the seams had to disappear under even more PSR and a spinal extension of the canopy had to be sculpted across the upper wing surface, which would meld with the pod’s tail in a (more or less) harmonious shape. Not an easy task, and the fairing was eventually sculpted with 2C putty, plus even more PSR… Looks quite homogenous, though.

After this massive body work, other hardware challenges appeared like small distractions. The landing gear was another major issue because the deeper AH-1 section lowered the ground clearance, also because of the chin turret. To counter this, I raised the OV-10’s main landing gear by ~2mm – not much, but it was enough to create a credible stance, together with the front landing gear transplant under the cockpit, which received an internal console to match the main landing gear’s length. Due to the chin turret and the shorter nose, the front wheel retracts backwards now. But this looks quite plausible, thanks to the additional space under the cockpit tub, which also made a belt feed for the gun’s ammunition supply believable.

To enhance the menacing look I gave the model a fixed refueling boom, made from 1mm steel wire and a receptor adapter sculpted with white glue. The latter stuff was also used add some antenna fairings around the hull. Some antennae, chaff dispensers and an IR decoy were taken from the Academy kit.

The ordnance came from various sources. The Sidewinders under the wing tips were taken from an Italeri F-16C/D kit, they look better than the missiles from the Academy Bronco kit. Their launch rails came from an Italeri Bae Hawk 200. The quadruple Hellfire launchers on the underwing hardpoints were left over from an Italeri AH-1W, and they are a perfect load for this aircraft and its role. The LAU-10 and -19 missile pods on the stub wings were taken from the OV-10 kit.

Painting and markings:

Finding a suitable and somewhat interesting – but still plausible – paint scheme was not easy. Taking the A-10 as benchmark, an overall light grey livery (with focus on low contrast against the sky as protection against ground fire) would have been a likely choice – and in fact the last operational American OV-10s were painted in this fashion. But in order to provide a different look I used the contemporary USAF V-22Bs and Special Operations MC-130s as benchmark, which typically carry a darker paint scheme consisting of FS 36118 (suitably “Gunship Gray” :D) from above, FS 36375 underneath, with a low, wavy waterline, plus low-viz markings. Not spectacular, but plausible – and very similar to the late r/w Colombian OV-10s.

The cockpit tub became Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Humbrol 140) and the landing gear white (Revell 301).

The model received an overall black ink washing and some post-panel-shading, to liven up the dull all-grey livery. The decals were gathered from various sources, and I settled for black USAF low-viz markings. The “stars and bars” come from a late USAF F-4, the “IP” tail code was tailored from F-16 markings and the shark mouth was taken from an Academy AH-64. Most stencils came from another Academy OV-10 sheet and some other sources.

Decals were also used to create the trim on the propeller blades and markings on the ordnance.

Finally, the model was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and some exhaust soot stains were added with graphite along the tail boom flanks.

A successful transplantation – but is this still a modified Bronco or already a kitbashing? The result looks quite plausible and menacing, even though the TOW Cobra front section appears relatively massive. But thanks to the bigger engines and extended wing tips the proportions still work. The large low-pressure tires look a bit goofy under the aircraft, but they are original. The grey livery works IMHO well, too – a more colorful or garish scheme would certainly have distracted from the modified technical basis.

eat more cupcakes!!

No life ring but a great sunset. Tolvsrød, outside Tønsberg, Norway.

The photo is taken from the top of a small part of the beach right north of the peninsula of Vallø. This part of the beach is not very often used by the locals because of the "high" pollution level. Earlier, Esso had a refinery on Vallø and I guess that all the parts of old oil barrels and iron pipes that are still lying on the beach come from that "proud" era.

Fortunately, you cannot see these things on the photo, but they are nevertheless there. I felt it had to be said. Pollution is definitely a thing to fight.

Here is another version of this photo.

Here is an out-of-bounds version of this photo.

This photo was nominated for the informal photo contest for March 2007 on www.preus.no

Explore: Highest position: 136 on Saturday, March 3, 2007

Sue & Myself will be back later in the week, were going to visit our Son & his family in Stourport on Severn.

Stourport -on-Severn is a lively Georgian town, set on the banks of the River Severn, that was developed with the building of the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in 1771. By the late eighteenth Century, the town had become the busiest inland port in the Midlands after Birmingham.

Stourport Marina is set in rural Worcestershire on the River Severn situated close to the M5 and M42 Motorways, 20 miles south of Birmingham and 3 - 5 hours from London. Convenient for cruising on the Worcester and Staffordshire canal system, 5 hours cruising from the from the river Avon and 10 hours from the Bristol Channel, giving cruising potential to the Welsh, Devon and Cornish Coasts.

There are 130 moorings designed to berth wide beam ocean going craft as well as river and canal cruisers. All berths are on a floating pontoon system with water and electricity points. The whole area has security fencing and lighting and is set in a landscaped gardens complete with a barbeque area for personal use to entertain friends and family.

The clubhouse with a restaurant and bar is very popular. The extensive menu is based on good homely cooking and offers excellent traditional Sunday lunches. The deck patio, over looks the marina where members can sit and have a meal or a drink while enjoying splendid view. On a warm day you could be anywhere in the world!!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stourport-on-Severn

www.tingdene-marinas.co.uk/marinas/stourport-marina#sthas...

this is for the lovely Ciel, whom has written me a beautiful testimonial. thank you Ciel, from the bottom of my heart....

This songs for you, Ciel.

Copyright Susan Ogden

Just a little something that i believe is important...those of you on FB know that i have shared this there, but since this is a very art based and creative community i decided to share it here as well.

Not gonna lie...some of you will not want to take the time to read it...but it is dear to my heart because it explains SO much TO me...ABOUT me, and the other creatives i know. It may come as a surprise to some of you and others not so much. it puts into words what i have tried over the years to explain to those that do not get me.

i was one of the ones surprised by this....mainly because it was like someone was sitting voyueristically at my window and writing down each and every one of these things while they watched me. They did not miss ONE thing. freaky....and yet a relief of having a way to express what i feel on a daily basis.

i am off to explore and run some errands...do some collecting and commune with me for awhile. I hope those of you that take the time to look at this will think about what it says....and maybe understand the creative in you...or others around you to some degree. Not everyone will hit every point on this list dead center....but most of you will KNOW which ones are you instantly!

Have a beautiful Tuesday and revel in being you! oh, and please do comment....i love hearing what you think when it comes to your journey in creativity!

www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/20-things-remembe...

Bluestem is a native grass in the Flint Hills region of Kansas. Very nutritious and a grazing paradise for ruminants. The stems during late summer can reach 7 feet in height. Seeds are at the end of those stems. This grass responds well to burning. Early American Indians used to set fires to preserve the grazing grass for buffalo.

5BGP4635

The subject is a small bouncy ball. Seize it as it flies through the air to find beauty:

Ask the poet Keats, who said that "what the imagination seizes as beauty must be truth."

He might also have said that what the hand seizes as a ball must be truth, but he didn't, because he was a poet and preferred loafing about under trees with a bottle of laudanum and a notebook to playing cricket, but it would have been equally true.

-- Douglas Adams, in Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, chapter 19

It was shot for entry into Macro Monday's "Defining Beauty" challenge.

Lens

SMC PENTAX-FA Macro 100mm F2.8

Lighting

One Pentax AF540FGZ is the wireless master, on the camera.

Another one, acting as the wireless slave positioned behind the subject, firing through a McDonalds Happy Meal toy periscope.

Yes, there were simpler ways to light the scene, but this was fun.

See the first comment for an image of the setup.

This is the outside of the Steele Wheels Motor Museum. The Steele family seems to own most of the car dealerships (etc etc) in Halifax, and so now Haligonians get to see what their car purchases have afforded somebody else.

steelewheels.ca

Once we placed Alice in the car, she laid on the soft bed, and when I approached to assure her that everything is going to be amazing, she rolled on her back a little and allowed me to scratch her belly.

This rescue video is coming up soon here: www.youtube.com/eldad75

Aylesford is a village in Kent on the river Medway. The river is tidal at this point. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records the Battle of Aylesford taking place nearby in 455, when the Germanic Hengest fought the Welsh Vortigern; Horsa (Hengist's brother) is said to have fallen in this battle. It was also the place where one of the earliest bridges across the Medway was built, believed to be in the 14th century (although the wide central span seen today is later). Parts of St Peter and St Paul's church date back to the Norman invasion. Aylesford Carmelite Priory [The Friars] is nearby.

There are no shops in the village worth mentioning, but there are a couple of nice pubs. [I once lived in Aylesford].

Depends on your point of view, I suppose. Sure, what you see is not natural. But, then again, what about a woman who colors her hair, wears makeup (including false lashes), and accentuates her figure?

Am I that much different?

And, bottom line, this is what I consider myself to be. So, I am NOT pretending!

. . . when it is practically impossible to take a bad picture.

Chalybion californicus

Distribution / Verbreitung: Mexico to Southern Canada (Great Lakes Region)

The name "mud" dauber refers to the nests that are made by the female wasps, which consist of mud molded into place by the wasp's mandibles. The nest is a simple, one-cell, urn-shaped mud structucture that is attached to crevices, cracks and corners. Each cell contains one egg. Adults of both sexes frequently drink flower nectar, but they stock their nests with spiders, which serve as food for their offspring. Mud daubers prefer particular kinds and sizes of spiders for their larders. Instead of stocking a nest cell with one or two large spiders, mud daubers cram as many as two dozen small spiders into a nest cell. Chalybion californicum, the blue mud wasp, is most famous for its predation of black widow spiders. To capture a spider, the wasp grabs it and stings it. The venom from the sting does not kill the spider, but paralyzes and preserves it so it can be transported and stored in the nest cell until consumed by the larva. A mud dauber usually lays its egg on the prey item and then seals it into the nest cell with a mud cap. It then builds another cell or nest. The young survive the winter inside the nest.

Die Weibchen bauen ihre „Mörtel"-Nester aus feuchter Erde oder feuchtem Lehm. Die urnenartigen Nester werden an Pflanzen, Mauern, überhängenden Felsen und dergl. an einer geschützten Stelle, wie etwa an einer Nische, angebracht. Häufig kann man die Nester an Gebäuden entdecken. Die erwachsenen Tiere sind Blütenbesucher und fliegen häufig Pfützen an, um Material für den Nestbau zu beschaffen. Die Brut wird mit Spinnen versorgt. Diese werden nicht spezifisch ausgewählt, wobei pro Zelle je nach Größe der Beute mitunter bis zu zwei Dutzend Spinnen enthalten sein können. Die Wespe sticht ihre gefangene Spinne und lähmt sie. Die Spinne wird im Nest untergebracht, die Wespe legt ein Ei darauf ab; die Nestzelle wird dann mit Lehm „zugemauert" und die Wespe baut die nächste Zelle. Die aus dem Ei ausschlüpfende Larve frisst die mit ihr eingemauerte lebendige, gelähmte Spinne. Die jungen Wespen überwintern im Nest.

[Source / Quelle: Wikipedia]

A shot of what is known as " The Splash " where the river Mole crosses River Lane in Fetcham and as you can see the river is running high at present .

A quote about the Splash from the Fracis Frith webpage --

"I remember the rickety bridge over the River Mole here, when I was very small my mother used to take me over it to eat sandwiches by the 'splash' and go for a paddle. The bridge was really scary with wobbly planks and I was afraid of falling through where the missing one was. When I was old enough to go on my own I learned to swim in the river, hanging on to the water weeds and kicking my feet until I was confident enough to let go and 'doggie paddle'. I am not sure why that part on the river is called the 'splash'. Some say it is because it was once a ford and the horses splashed across, and others say it is because a bomb dropped in the river which made a big splash. The water is deep over the bomb crater which is still there. Last summer I was 60 and swam over the bomb crater and it was still out of my depth so I don't know how deep it is. I got some strange looks but couldn't resist it. Someone threw a ball for a dog which landed nearby and the dog seemed to think I was competing in a race for its ball! The rickety bridge has been replaced by one that I think was carefully chosen to resemble the old one, but there are no wobbly or missing boards. "

Her name is Wednesday. My wife found her with the other two brothers. Eyes were still close, small and weak (about 1 week old). Their mother didn’t show up whole day. So we bring them home. but couldn’t save her brothers cause too weak and lack of experience taking care such small kitty. She was the only one survive . Now she is 6 weeks old, cute and healthy.

(她叫拜三(台語的星期三)，我老婆撿回來的，原本有3隻，但奶貓太虛弱加上沒有相關照護奶貓的經驗，另外兩隻夭折，現在的拜三六個星期大，已經會跑跳亂咬東西了)

My colleague at work was cleaning her office room, because she thought she had too much redundant stuff in there and she was giving things she didn't need so to me she gave a book “Deception on the plate” (originally a Swedish book “Den hemlige kocken” by Mats-Erik Nilsson). And than I read this weeks MM theme and there's a book on my desk with deception written with big letters on the cover :) Did I feel lucky!

The book is about how the food isn't exactly what the manufacturers say it is, for example those freshly squeezed orange juices that are sold in the stores aren't really so fresh, the juice can be almost ten months old, before it's even in the stores.

So I guess it's best to make my own juice if I want to be sure it's really fresh :)

For MacroMondays theme "Deception"

Happy MacroMonday!

This is Odawara Castle which isn't actually what it seems to be. The 1870 earthquake flattened the castle at Odawara and it remained in that state for a hundred years until over the last fifty years it was rebuilt to its current state. To be fair to the Japanese there are many ancient buildings worldwide that have been rebuilt built on site. The original building was erected in 1447, rebuilt in 1633, 1706 and again in then late 20th century. This history tells as much about earthquakes as it does Japanese military defences.

Is it gathering roots and rhizomes,

or roots and rhyzomes

gathering us ?

Carolina Wren...Such a aggravated expression! He worked like crazy to get this out of his bill. I have no idea what it is or where it came from. Finally he got rid of it and was able to eat some seeds.

[Aura Design] Force FULLSET

This amazing outfit is rigged for:

.GenX Classic

.GenX Curvy

.eBody Reborn

.eBody Waifus

.Legacy Classic

.Legacy Perky

.Legacy Bombshell

.Starbody

.LaraX

.PetiteX

.Maitreya Classic

.Maitreya Petite

.Kupra

.Nhumana

The outfit comes with Boots/Shorts/Sleeves/Top

To see more wonderful clothing and accessories check out the In-World Store.

Taxi: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Crystal%20Cascade/192/161/23

Or Marketplace: marketplace.secondlife.com/stores/239631

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Sintiklia - Hair Silvanus

Exclusively at the NEO JAPAN EVENT

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VENUS "PLUMEPULSE" FULL BODY TATTOO

Locations

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Worn~

eBody Reborn

Lelutka Billie

[coconut.]chae (icy tone)

It is when it comes to flamingos, but not in a room in my house. So colors do have there place, and pink on flamingos is beautiful

I have been sick the last few weeks, so I have been staying up with things very well. Starting to feel better, I need to because I am attending the Red Slough Birding Convention the first of May.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humpback_whale

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. An acrobatic animal known for breaching and slapping the water with its tail and pectorals, it is popular with whale watchers off Australia, New Zealand, South America, Canada, and the United States.

Males produce a complex song lasting 10 to 20 minutes, which they repeat for hours at a time. Its purpose is not clear, though it may have a role in mating.

Found in oceans and seas around the world, humpback whales typically migrate up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) each year. Humpbacks feed only in summer, in polar waters, and migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed and give birth in the winter. During the winter, humpbacks fast and live off their fat reserves. Their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Humpbacks have a diverse repertoire of feeding methods, including the bubble net feeding technique.

Like other large whales, the humpback was and is a target for the whaling industry. Once hunted to the brink of extinction, its population fell by an estimated 90% before a moratorium was introduced in 1966. While stocks have since partially recovered, entanglement in fishing gear, collisions with ships, and noise pollution continue to impact the 80,000 humpbacks worldwide.

Taxonomy

Humpback whales are rorquals (family Balaenopteridae), a family that includes the blue whale, the fin whale, the Bryde's whale, the sei whale and the minke whale. The rorquals are believed to have diverged from the other families of the suborder Mysticeti as long ago as the middle Miocene.[3] However, it is not known when the members of these families diverged from each other.

Though clearly related to the giant whales of the genus Balaenoptera, the humpback has been the sole member of its genus since Gray's work in 1846. More recently, though, DNA sequencing analysis has indicated the humpback is more closely related to certain rorquals, particularly the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), and possibly to the gray whale (Eschrichtius robustus), than it is to rorquals such as the minke whales.[4][5] If further research confirms these relationships, it will be necessary to reclassify the rorquals.

The humpback whale was first identified as baleine de la Nouvelle Angleterre by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in his Regnum Animale of 1756. In 1781, Georg Heinrich Borowski described the species, converting Brisson's name to its Latin equivalent, Balaena novaeangliae. In 1804, Lacépède shifted the humpback from the Balaenidae family, renaming it Balaenoptera jubartes. In 1846, John Edward Gray created the genus Megaptera, classifying the humpback as Megaptera longipinna, but in 1932, Remington Kellogg reverted the species names to use Borowski's novaeangliae.[6] The common name is derived from the curving of their backs when diving. The generic name Megaptera from the Greek mega-/μεγα- "giant" and ptera/πτερα "wing",[7] refers to their large front flippers. The specific name means "New Englander" and was probably given by Brisson due the regular sightings of humpbacks off the coast of New England.

Description

A humpback whale can easily be identified by its stocky body with an obvious hump and black dorsal coloring. The head and lower jaw are covered with knobs called tubercles, which are hair follicles, and are characteristic of the species. The fluked tail, which it lifts above the surface in some dive sequences, has wavy trailing edges.[8] The four global populations, all under study, are: North Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Ocean humpbacks, which have distinct populations which complete a migratory round-trip each year, and the Indian Ocean population, which does not migrate, prevented by that ocean's northern coastline.

The long black and white tail fin, which can be up to a third of body length, and the pectoral fins have unique patterns, which make individual whales identifiable.[9][10] Several hypotheses attempt to explain the humpback's pectoral fins, which are proportionally the longest fins of any cetacean. The two most enduring mention the higher maneuverability afforded by long fins, and the usefulness of the increased surface area for temperature control when migrating between warm and cold climates.

Humpbacks have 270 to 400 darkly coloured baleen plates on each side of their mouths.[11] The plates measure from a mere 18 inches (46 cm) in the front to approximately 3 feet (0.91 m) long in the back, behind the hinge. Ventral grooves run from the lower jaw to the umbilicus about halfway along the underside of the whale. These grooves are less numerous (usually 14–22) than in other rorquals but are fairly wide.[11]

The stubby dorsal fin is visible soon after the blow when the whale surfaces, but disappears by the time the flukes emerge. Humpbacks have a 3 metres (9.8 ft), heart-shaped to bushy blow, or exhalation of water through the blowholes. Because humpback whales breathe voluntarily, the whales possibly shut off only half of their brains when sleeping.[12] Early whalers also noted blows from humpback adults to be 10–20 feet (3.0–6.1 m) high.

Newborn calves are roughly the length of their mother's head. At birth, calves measure 20 feet (6.1 m) at 2 short tons (1.8 t) The mother, by comparison, is about 50 feet (15 m). They nurse for approximately six months, then mix nursing and independent feeding for possibly six months more. Humpback milk is 50% fat and pink in color.

Females reach sexual maturity at the age of five, achieving full adult size a little later. Males reach sexual maturity at approximately seven years of age. Humpback whale lifespans range from 45–100 years.[13] Fully grown, the males average 13–14 m (43–46 ft). Females are slightly larger at 15–16 m (49–52 ft); the largest recorded specimen was 19 metres (62 ft) long and had pectoral fins measuring 6 metres (20 ft) each.[14] Body mass typically is in the range of 25–30 metric tons (28–33 short tons), with large specimens weighing over 40 metric tons (44 short tons).[15] The female has a hemispherical lobe about 15 centimetres (5.9 in) in diameter in its genital region. This visually distinguishes males and females.[11] The male's penis usually remains hidden in the genital slit.

Identifying individuals

The varying patterns on the tail flukes are sufficient to identify individuals. A study using data from 1973 to 1998 on whales in the North Atlantic gave researchers detailed information on gestation times, growth rates, and calving periods, as well as allowing more accurate population predictions by simulating the mark-release-recapture technique (Katona and Beard 1982). A photographic catalogue of all known North Atlantic whales was developed over this period and is currently maintained by College of the Atlantic.[16] Similar photographic identification projects have begun in the North Pacific by Structure of Populations, Levels of Abundance and Status of Humpbacks, and around the world.

Life history

Social structure

The humpback social structure is loose-knit. Typically, individuals live alone or in small, transient groups that disband after a few hours. These whales are not excessively social in most cases. Groups may stay together a little longer in summer to forage and feed cooperatively. Longer-term relationships between pairs or small groups, lasting months or even years, have rarely been observed. Some females possibly retain bonds created via cooperative feeding for a lifetime. The humpback's range overlaps considerably with other whale and dolphin species—for instance, the minke whale. However, humpbacks rarely interact socially with them, though one individual was observed playing with a bottlenose dolphin in Hawaiian waters.[17]

Courtship and reproduction

Courtship rituals take place during the winter months, following migration toward the equator from summer feeding grounds closer to the poles. Competition is usually fierce, and unrelated males, dubbed escorts by researcher Louis Herman, frequently trail females, as well as mother-calf dyads. Male gather into "competitive groups" and fight for females.[18] Group size ebbs and flows as unsuccessful males retreat and others arrive to try their luck. Behaviors include breaching, spyhopping, lob-tailing, tail-slapping, fin-slapping, peduncle throws, charging and parrying. Whale songs are assumed to have an important role in mate selection; however, they may also be used between males to establish dominance.[19]

Females typically breed every two or three years. The gestation period is 11.5 months, yet some individuals have been known to breed in two consecutive years. The peak months for birth are January, February, July, and August, with usually a one- to two–year period between humpback births. They can live up to 48 years. Recent research on humpback mitochondrial DNA reveals groups living in proximity to each other may represent distinct breeding pools.[20]

Song

Both male and female humpback whales vocalize, but only males produce the long, loud, complex "songs" for which the species is famous. Each song consists of several sounds in a low register, varying in amplitude and frequency, and typically lasting from 10 to 20 minutes.[21] Humpbacks may sing continuously for more than 24 hours. Cetaceans have no vocal cords, so whales generate their songs by forcing air through their massive nasal cavities.

Whales within a large area sing the same song. All North Atlantic humpbacks sing the same song, and those of the North Pacific sing a different song. Each population's song changes slowly over a period of years without repeating.[21]

Scientists are unsure of the purpose of whale songs. Only males sing, suggesting one purpose is to attract females. However, many of the whales observed to approach a singer are other males, often resulting in conflict. Singing may, therefore, be a challenge to other males.[22] Some scientists have hypothesized the song may serve an echolocative function.[23] During the feeding season, humpbacks make altogether different vocalizations for herding fish into their bubble nets.[24]

Humpback whales have also been found to make a range of other social sounds to communicate, such as "grunts", "groans", "thwops", "snorts" and "barks"

Ecology

Feeding and predation

Humpbacks feed primarily in summer and live off fat reserves during winter.[26] They feed only rarely and opportunistically in their wintering waters. The humpback is an energetic hunter, taking krill and small schooling fish such as Atlantic herring, Atlantic salmon, capelin, and American sand lance, as well as Atlantic mackerel, pollock, and haddock in the North Atlantic.[27][28][29] Krill and copepods have been recorded as prey species in Australian and Antarctic waters.[30] Humpbacks hunt by direct attack or by stunning prey by hitting the water with pectoral fins or flukes.

The humpback has the most diverse feeding repertoire of all baleen whales.[31] Its most inventive technique is known as bubble net feeding; a group of whales swims in a shrinking circle blowing bubbles below a school of prey. The shrinking ring of bubbles encircles the school and confines it in an ever-smaller cylinder. This ring can begin at up to 30 metres (98 ft) in diameter and involve the cooperation of a dozen animals. Using a crittercam attached to a whale's back, some whales were found to blow the bubbles, some dive deeper to drive fish toward the surface, and others herd prey into the net by vocalizing.[32] The whales then suddenly swim upward through the "net", mouths agape, swallowing thousands of fish in one gulp. Plated grooves in the whale's mouth allow the creature to easily drain all the water initially taken in.

Given scarring records, killer whales are thought to prey upon juvenile humpbacks, though this has never been witnessed. The result of these attacks is generally nothing more serious than some scarring of the skin, but young calves likely are sometimes killed.[33]

Range and habitat

Humpbacks inhabit all major oceans, in a wide band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 77° N latitude, though not in the eastern Mediterranean or the Baltic Sea.They are migratory, spending summers in cooler, high-latitude waters and mating and calving in tropical and subtropical waters.[21] An exception to this rule is a population in the Arabian Sea, which remains in these tropical waters year-round.[21] Annual migrations of up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 mi) are typical, making it one of the mammals' best-traveled species.

A large population spreads across the Hawaiian Islands every winter, ranging from the island of Hawaii in the south to Kure Atoll in the north.[34] A 2007 study identified seven individuals wintering off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica as having traveled from the Antarctic—around 8,300 kilometres (5,200 mi). Identified by their unique tail patterns, these animals made the longest documented mammalian migration.[35] In Australia, two main migratory populations have been identified, off the west and east coasts, respectively. These two populations are distinct, with only a few females in each generation crossing between the two groups.[36]

Whaling

Humpback whales were hunted as early as the 18th century, but distinguished by whalers as early as the first decades of the 17th century. By the 19th century, many nations (the United States in particular), were hunting the animal heavily in the Atlantic Ocean, and to a lesser extent in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The late-19th-century introduction of the explosive harpoon, though, allowed whalers to accelerate their take. This, along with hunting in the Antarctic Ocean beginning in 1904, sharply reduced whale populations. During the 20th century, over 200,000 humpbacks were estimated to have been taken, reducing the global population by over 90%, with North Atlantic populations estimated to have dropped to as low as 700 individuals.[37] In 1946, the International Whaling Commission was founded to oversee the whaling industry. They imposed rules and regulations for hunting whales and set open and closed hunting seasons. To prevent extinction, the International Whaling Commission banned commercial humpback whaling in 1966. By then, the population had been reduced to around 5,000.[38] That ban is still in force.

Prior to commercial whaling, populations could have reached 125,000. North Pacific kills alone are estimated at 28,000.[8] The full toll is much higher. It is now known that the Soviet Union was deliberately under-recording its catches; the Soviet catch was reported at 2,820, whereas the true number is now believed to be over 48,000.[39]

As of 2004, hunting of humpback whales was restricted to a few animals each year off the Caribbean island Bequia in the nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.[31] The take is not believed to threaten the local population. Japan had planned to kill 50 humpbacks in the 2007/08 season under its JARPA II research program, starting in November 2007. The announcement sparked global protests.[40] After a visit to Tokyo by the chairman of the IWC, asking the Japanese for their co-operation in sorting out the differences between pro- and antiwhaling nations on the Commission, the Japanese whaling fleet agreed no humpback whales would be caught for the two years it would take for the IWC to reach a formal agreement.[41]

In 2010, the International Whaling Commission authorized Greenland's native population to hunt a few humpback whales for the next three years.[42]

Conservation

The worldwide population is at least 80,000 humpback whales, with 18,000-20,000 in the North Pacific,[43] about 12,000 in the North Atlantic,[44] and over 50,000 in the Southern Hemisphere,[45] down from a prewhaling population of 125,000.[8]

This species is considered "least concern" from a conservation standpoint, as of 2008. This is an improvement from vulnerable in 1996 and endangered as recently as 1988. Most monitored stocks of humpback whales have rebounded well since the end of commercial whaling,[2][46] such as the North Atlantic, where stocks are now believed to be approaching levels similar to those before hunting began. However, the species is considered endangered in some countries, including the United States.[47][48] The United States initiated a status review of the species on August 12, 2009, and is seeking public comment on potential changes to the species listing under the Endangered Species Act.[49] Areas where population data are limited and the species may be at higher risk include the Arabian Sea, the western North Pacific Ocean, the west coast of Africa and parts of Oceania.[2]

Today, individuals are vulnerable to collisions with ships, entanglement in fishing gear, and noise pollution.[2] Like other cetaceans, humpbacks can be injured by excessive noise. In the 19th century, two humpback whales were found dead near sites of repeated oceanic sub-bottom blasting, with traumatic injuries and fractures in the ears.[50]

Once hunted to the brink of extinction, the humpback has made a dramatic comeback in the North Pacific. A 2008 study estimated the humpback population, which hit a low of 1,500 whales before hunting was banned worldwide, has made a comeback to a population of between 18,000 and 20,000.[51] Saxitoxin, a paralytic shellfish poisoning from contaminated mackerel has been implicated in humpback whale deaths.[52]

The United Kingdom, among other countries, designated the humpback as a priority species under the national Biodiversity Action Plan. The sanctuary provided by US National Parks, such as Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and Cape Hatteras National Seashore, among others, have also become major factors in sustaining populations.[53]

Although much was learned about humpbacks from whaling, migratory patterns and social interactions were not well understood until two studies by R. Chittleborough and W. H. Dawbin in the 1960s.[54] Roger Payne and Scott McVay made further studies of the species in 1971.[55] Their analysis of whale songs led to worldwide media interest and convinced the public that whales were highly intelligent, aiding the antiwhaling advocates.

In August 2008, the IUCN changed humpback's status from Vulnerable to Least Concern, although two subpopulations remain endangered.[56] The United States is considering listing separate humpback populations, so smaller groups, such as North Pacific humpbacks, which are estimated to number 18,000-20,000 animals, might be delisted. This is made difficult by humpback's extraordinary migrations, which can extend the 5,157 miles (8,299 km) from Antarctica to Costa Rica.[20]

Whale-watching

Humpback whales are generally curious about objects in their environments. Some individuals, referred to as "friendlies", approach whale-watching boats closely, often staying under or near the boat for many minutes. Because humpbacks are often easily approachable, curious, easily identifiable as individuals, and display many behaviors, they have become the mainstay of whale-watching tourism in many locations around the world. Hawaii has used the concept of "ecotourism" to use the species without killing them. This whale-watching business brings in a revenue of $20 million per year for the state's economy

The Savoy Hotel is a luxury hotel located in the Strand in the City of Westminster in central London, England. Built by the impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte with profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan opera productions, it opened on 6 August 1889. It was the first in the Savoy group of hotels and restaurants owned by Carte's family for over a century. The Savoy was the first luxury hotel in Britain, introducing electric lights throughout the building, electric lifts, bathrooms in most of the lavishly furnished rooms, constant hot and cold running water and many other innovations. Carte hired César Ritz as manager and Auguste Escoffier as chef de cuisine; they established an unprecedented standard of quality in hotel service, entertainment and elegant dining, attracting royalty and other rich and powerful guests and diners.

The hotel became Carte's most successful venture. Its bands, Savoy Orpheans and the Savoy Havana Band, became famous, and other entertainers (who were also often guests) included George Gershwin, Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne and Noël Coward. Other famous guests have included Edward VII, Oscar Wilde, Enrico Caruso, Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth, Harry Truman, Joan Crawford, Judy Garland, John Wayne, Laurence Olivier, Marilyn Monroe, Humphrey Bogart, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Bette Midler, The Beatles and many others. Winston Churchill often took his cabinet to lunch at the hotel.[2]

The hotel is now managed by Fairmont Hotels and Resorts. It has been called "London's most famous hotel".[3] It has 267 guest rooms and panoramic views of the River Thames across Savoy Place and the Thames Embankment. The hotel is a Grade II listed building.

Fort Myers or Ft. Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. It has grown rapidly in recent years. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 62,298 and in 2017 was estimated at 79,943.

Fort Myers is a gateway to the Southwest Florida region and a major tourist destination within Florida. The winter estates of Thomas Edison ("Seminole Lodge") and Henry Ford ("The Mangoes") are major attractions. The city is named after Colonel Abraham Myers.

Spain originally had colonial influence in Florida, succeeded by Great Britain and, lastly, the United States. During the American Indian Wars of the 1830s, the United States built Fort Myers as one of the first forts along the Caloosahatchee River; it was used as a base of operations against the Seminole. During the Seminole Wars and Indian Removal period, Fort Myers was a strategic location, with access to Atlantic waterways. While many Seminole were forced to remove to Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River, others used their knowledge of the Everglades and Florida wilderness to resist the Americans. They were never defeated and two federally recognized Seminole tribes still control some of their historic territory.

During the American Civil War, Confederate blockade runners and cattle ranchers were based in Fort Myers. These settlers prospered through trading with the Seminole and Union soldiers.

The Fort Myers community was founded after the American Civil War by Captain Manuel A. Gonzalez on February 21, 1866. Captain Gonzalez was familiar with the area as a result of his years of service delivering mail and supplies to the Union Army at the Fort during the Seminole Indian Wars and Civil War. [When the U.S. Government abandoned the fort following the Civil War, Gonzalez sailed from Key West, Florida to found the community. Three weeks later, Joseph Vivas and his wife, Christianna Stirrup Vivas, arrived with Gonzalez's wife, Evalina, and daughter Mary.

Gonzalez settled his family near the abandoned Fort Myers, where he began the area's first trading post. Gonzalez traded tobacco, beads, and gunpowder, and sold otter, bobcat, and gator hide, to the neighboring Seminole. A small community began to form around the trading post.

In the late 19th century, northerners began to travel to Florida in the winter. Some saw development opportunities. In 1881, the wealthy industrialist Hamilton Disston of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania came to the Caloosahatchee Valley. He planned to dredge and drain the Everglades for development. Diston connected Lake Okeechobee with the Caloosahatchee River; this allowed steamboats to run from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Okeechobee and up the Kissimmee River.

On August 12, 1885, the small town of Fort Myers—all 349 residents—was incorporated. By that time, it was the second-largest town on Florida's Gulf Coast south of Cedar Key.

In 1885, inventor Thomas Alva Edison was cruising Florida's west coast and stopped to visit Fort Myers. He soon bought 13 acres along the Caloosahatchee River in town. There he built his home "Seminole Lodge", as a winter retreat. It included a laboratory for his continuing work. After the Lodge was completed in 1886, Edison and his wife, Mina, spent many winters in Fort Myers. Edison also enjoyed local recreational fishing, for which Fort Myers had gained a national reputation.

In 1898, the Royal Palm Hotel was constructed. This luxury hotel attracted many tourists and established Fort Myers nationally as a winter resort destination.

Credit for the data above is given to the following website:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Myers,_Florida

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Wernigerode is a town of about 35.000 inhabitants situated at the Northeastern edge of the Harz, a relatively low mountain range ("Mittelgebirge"). The highest elevation of the Harz, the Brocken, with a height of 1,141 metres (3,743 ft), is about 12 km away from the town. Wernigerode's history reaches back to the year of 1121, when it was first mentioned in a document. The town is famous for its well preserved historic centre with important Gothic monuments and predominantly half-timbered architecture.

Photo is a composite of two images. The first photo is a longer exposure to smooth the water upstream of the rocks. The second photo uses a shorter shutter speed to provide definition in the water downstream of the rocks. The images blended manually in Affinity Photo.

SEGUIMI-->FOLLOW ME

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FAI UN TOUR PANORAMICO DENTRO LA GROTTA DI JANAS BAUNEI --> FOLLOW ME

La grotta si contraddistingue per la presenza, nel piano roccioso antistante l’ingresso, di una raffigurazione incisa, sul pavimento antistante la grotta si presume risalga al Neolitico 4000 – 3200 a.C. . Essa è “composta da una conca dalla quale partono diciotto canali di varia grandezza 2 - 3 cm di larghezza, appaiono irregolarmente ramificate a raggiera. I canali con alcune ramificazioni sono collegati ad alcune coppelle terminali di diverse dimensioni, a colpo d’occhio non sembrano avere un ordine preciso. Le piccole conche collegate ai canali fanno intuitivamente pensare a una raccolta dell’acqua, liquidi organici, oppure sangue la disposizione delle pietre induce a pensare a riti propiziatori legati alla fertilità o forse pertinenti a sacrifici umani o animali. Per la sua posizione dominante e la difficoltà per raggiungerla, non si esclude che venisse usata come rifugio.

Enough of me!!!

This is Kiwi, and she let me take her picture. She belongs to a friend and I mentioned wanting to take a picture of Kiwi, so she said, I will leave the door unlocked, just go in and get her and grab some treats and make a go of it. She was extremely well behaved, she sat and she stayed and she posed. I got down on her level, my camera was basically @ ground level, used my 85mm, shot wide open for that creamy background, and my flash was mounted and diffused~

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📷 photographer: Bernard Egger :: rumoto images

event: 2009 Mille Miglia, Passo della Raticosa IT

Abarth 695 esseesse :: rumoto image # 3183 cc

This is the first time I've been to a movie premier! It was a ton of fun. My friends and I got to walk the red carpet where we saw Paul Walker and Vin Diesel giving interviews to ET. I can't stop smiling :).

This image is a compilation of three images from Envisat’s radar and shows where southwestern Africa’s Okavango River empties into the inland Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. The Okavango River originates in Angola, forms part of the Angola Namibia border and then ends in northern Botswana. Here, it has formed a depression in the semi-arid Kalahari basin. Appearing purple at the centre of the image is Chief’s Island. In the lower-right portion of the image we can see a large cluster of radar reflections from the town of Maun. At the top of the image, a triangle with similar colouring to the delta can be seen. This is a swamp area and national park located mostly in Namibia.

This image is featured on the Earth from Space video programme.

For more information, please click here.

Credits: ESA

manic depression is the new black.

Bipolar disorder or manic–depressive disorder (also referred to as bipolar affective disorder or manic depression) is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood. These moods are clinically referred to as mania or, if milder, hypomania. Individuals who experience manic episodes also commonly experience depressive episodes or symptoms, or mixed episodes in which features of both mania and depression are present at the same time. These episodes are usually separated by periods of "normal" mood, but in some individuals, depression and mania may rapidly alternate, known as rapid cycling. Extreme manic episodes can sometimes lead to psychotic symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations. The disorder has been subdivided into bipolar I, bipolar II, cyclothymia, and other types, based on the nature and severity of mood episodes experienced; the range is often described as the bipolar spectrum.

The onset of full symptoms generally occurs in late adolescence or young adulthood. Diagnosis is based on the person's self-reported experiences, as well as observed behavior. Episodes of abnormality are associated with distress and disruption, and an elevated risk of suicide, especially during depressive episodes. In some cases it can be a devastating long-lasting disorder; in others it has also been associated with creativity, goal striving and positive achievements; there is significant evidence to suggest that many people with creative talents have also suffered from some form of bipolar disorder.

Genetic factors contribute substantially to the likelihood of developing bipolar disorder, and environmental factors are also implicated. Bipolar disorder is often treated with mood stabilizer medications, and sometimes other psychiatric drugs. Psychotherapy also has a role, often when there has been some recovery of stability. In serious cases in which there is a risk of harm to oneself or others involuntary commitment may be used; these cases generally involve severe manic episodes with dangerous behavior or depressive episodes with suicidal ideation. There are widespread problems with social stigma, stereotypes and prejudice against individuals with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. People with bipolar disorder exhibiting psychotic symptoms can sometimes be misdiagnosed as having schizophrenia.

Editor's note: happy Friday, Flickr friends! This image is gorgeous, and I encourage you to view in large size. Posted to the NASA Views Earth at Night photoset: www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/sets/72157625188331491/

A nighttime view of Shanghai is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 30 crew member on the International Space Station. The city of Shanghai sits along the delta banks of the Yangtze River along the eastern coast of China. The city proper is the world's most populous city (the 2010 census counts 23 million people, including "unregistered" residents). With that many humans, the city is a tremendous sight at night. Shanghai is a key financial capital for China and the Asian Pacific region. The bright lights of the city center and the distinctive new skyscrapers that form the skyline along the Pudong district (the eastern shore of the Huangpu River, a tributary of the Yangtze that cuts through the center of Shanghai) make for spectacular night viewing both on the ground and from space. The official census count in 2000 was 16.4 million; the city population has increased more than 35 per cent since that time. Much of the growth has occurred in new satellite developments like areas to the west of the city (for example, Suzhou). The city's rapid growth and development during the 20th and 21st centuries have come at a cost. Water availability is a key concern, and groundwater withdrawal has resulted in substantial subsidence in and around the city. Because it is built only a few meters above sea level -- on the banks of the deltaic estuary of the Yangtze River -- curbing subsidence rates is a critical concern.

Image credit: NASA

Original image:

spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-30/html/...

More about space station research:

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/index.html

There's a Flickr group about Space Station Research. Please feel welcome to join! www.flickr.com/groups/stationscience/

View more than 475 photos like this in the "NASA Earth Images" Flickr photoset:

www.flickr.com/photos/28634332@N05/

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These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights please visit: www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelin...

A walk in the woods

Kazga is a "Lost Master", a warrior from long ago, who died in battle against the malicious beasts of Okoto. He was raised by the forces of destiny when the new Toa crash-landed on the island, and sets out to wreak havoc with his warped powers. Seeing no alternative to destruction, Kazga wants to teach the islanders a lesson for abandoning and forgetting him.

As the Master of Bone, Kazga has the ability to grow, shatter, and warp structures made of bone. It is difficult for him to control bones within living beings, but he is capable of weakening or slowing them down using his powers.

Primary color: White.

Element: Bone.

Favorite environment: The fossil-filled "Boneyard" of the Earth Region.

Masks: Bone Mask.

Powers: Manipulating and creating bone constructs; physically weakening enemies.

Primary weapon: Claws and spikes.

Signature moves: Bonebreaker and Fracture Smash.

Key traits: Calm and emotionless.

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New MOC for the BFGM, and probably my final entry for the contest. Inspired by Nick Vas' recent Bionicle MOCs.

The solder on the right is my Great-Granduncle, Frederick Gundlach. (I do not know who the other fellow is.) He was a member of the 16th Regiment, Company E of the Wisconsin Infantry during the American Civil War. Frederick was killed in battle July 21, 1864 outside Atlanta, Georgia. The following is a portion of the letter (lightly edited for readability) that Jacob Gundlach, brother of Frederick, wrote home informing the Gundlach family of Frederick's death:

Camp on the Battlefield - July 25, 1864

Dear Brother,

It is very hard to report to you, but it is never the less true, that Frederick is no more. He was killed on the morning of the 21st in a charge on the field .... shot [through] the right breast and died in five minutes from the time he was hit.

We gained the rebel works but with the loss of a good many brave men. [The] works we took was the key to Atlanta and the rebels plainly saw that unless they were retaken they must lose Atlanta, and on the 22nd they made an attempt to regain the position and they would have gained it had it not been for the 72nd [an unknown unit] and 16th Wisconsin [Regiment].

The Rebels charged our position five different times, but each time they were repulsed with great slaughter. The last charge they made, they planted three stands of colours on a little piece of breastworks [i.e., earthworks], but it was only for a few moments when they were shot away. I would go into the details of the battle but it is to horrible to relate.

I would write more but I am ordered off. Give my best respects to father, mother and all the rest. Tell them to look over Frederick's death as lightly as possible. He died for his country and he now rests in peace.

Your Brother,

Jacob [Gundlach]

Jacob (my Great-Grandfather), who also fought in the 16th Wisconsin Regiment, survived the war. He went on to marry Sarah Eleanor Kies. One of their daughters, Dora Elizabeth Gundlach, married Clifford William Reed around 1915. Dora and Clifford had four sons, including Ramon Wallace Reed, who was my father.

Jacob Gundlach died in 1919, age 77, at Livingston, Wisconsin.

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The image was scanned from a copy (in the possession of my late father) of the original photograph. The scanned image was converted to a DNG file and edited in Adobe Lightroom.

The original photo was probably a tintype taken in 1861. The fate of the original is unfortunately not known.

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File ID: PersWiDeathTrip1 Nom(B&W)V02R00 Pers.Wi.Death.Trip.Anc.Pat LowShrp.jpg