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Bulls*** Asymmetry Principle
The amount of energy needed to refute bulls*** is an order of magnitude bigger than that needed to produce it.
Also known as Brandolini’s Law, the Bulls*** Asymmetry Principle captures a circumstance we’ve all experienced. Those with an indifference to the truth are at an advantage. An argument is easily made. But dissecting a claim and verifying propositions and evidence is tiresome. And what if it’s part of the bulls****er’s plan to keep us busy refuting his nonsense?
I share the above principle, created in 2013 as a segway into this photograph. It is from my archives and was taken on 07 October, 2018 in Silver Glen on the docks of The Juniper Club.
As a tradition, I pass on photographing blue herons as they have become like robins…they are everywhere and way too easily photographed! In this case, a large pickerel looking to be near death swam slowly just below the docks. The heron stabbed it, snatched it up, walked it over to the grass behind the dock and proceeded to try and swallow it. As I sat in my chair fishing, I lifted my camera that unfortunately had my 600mm on it, deciding to capture its attempt to swallow the fish whole. This shot is not cropped vertically, it was all I could get without getting up and walking away.
Watching as it lifted it, I did some “Fancy Cyphering” (Jethro Bodine reference) and realized that the length of the fish was greater than the length of the heron body (minus tail feathers) and if swallowed, some of the fish’s tail would surely be in the heron’s neck. Not to mention the girth of the fish. I sat my camera back down to watch the action. The heron rocked the pickerel back and forth a few times building momentum, then with what seemed to be all the strength it had, while maintaining this grip, swung the fish high in the air and swallowed it with ease!
I watched in amazement as the large lump in its throat quickly slid out of sight and into its stomach! My mind quickly spun back into fancy cyphering mode as I tried to guess the weight of the bird* vs the weight of the fish…and if it would be able to fly now with that heavy a load of cargo?
*I just googled the average weight of a blue heron. It can range from roughly 4-8lbs. Let's call this one 6lbs…the fish was certainly in the 4-5lb range…that is a huge get for this hunter!
It continued to stand around for a few minutes until I decided to change locations. Once I got up, it swatted down for takeoff, pushed off the dock into the air. Remarkably, the weight of its meal didn’t seem to slow it down a bit.
Had I not seen “the swallow” for myself, I might have thrown the BS card on someone else telling this tale!
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Pleasantly painted and well maintained, consecutive Alco Century 420 models Nos. 56 and 57 of the Arkansas and Missouri Railroad reflect in the closing hour of a rare Sunday workday at Springdale, AR, having just returned from Monett, MO, with an extra job to retrieve a string of sand hoppers previously derailed on an industry track. Though the arrival of 3 SD70ACes from EMD in 2013 dented the all-Alco status of the road, Springdale's 251-powered fleet still represents the wide majority on the A&M, handling all light tasks from local/yard jobs to passenger assignments. This pair, mid-60s graduates from Schenectady that started as siblings on the Lehigh and Hudson River, will finish up the evening by building tomorrow's outbound Ft. Smith Turn that will head south from Springdale come morning.
No Foundation!
Hawa Mahal is the tallest building in the world without a foundation. The five-storey building managed to maintain upright because of it is curved. Just another masterpiece of Rajput and Mughal architecture.
Durga Puja pandal architecture is a vibrant and dynamic art form, deeply rooted in Bengali tradition but continuously evolving with contemporary trends. The pandal serves as the temporary abode for the goddess Durga during the annual festival and is often an elaborate and creative expression of architectural ingenuity.
Materials Used
Bamboo: The traditional material used for the structure of the pandal, which is highly flexible and abundant.
Cloth and Paper: These are used for decorations, draping, and wall coverings. They are often painted or printed with intricate designs.
Plaster of Paris and Clay: Used for creating idols and sculptures.
Fiberglass and Metal: These are often used in modern pandals for creating stronger, more durable structures.
1. Traditional Designs
Bengali Folk Art: Traditional pandals often draw from rural Bengal’s heritage, incorporating local materials like bamboo, jute, and clay. These pandals typically feature motifs inspired by nature, mythology, and folk art.
Sholar Kaaj: This is a technique involving intricate designs made from shola (a type of plant) and is used to create ornaments, canopies, and decorations within the pandal.
Terracotta and Wooden Crafts: Terracotta sculptures, wooden carvings, and images of mythological figures are common in older pandals.
2. Modern Interpretations
Innovative Materials: Modern pandals often use contemporary materials like fiberglass, metal, and plastic alongside traditional materials. For instance, large fiberglass idols of Durga are increasingly used, along with innovative lighting, mirrors, and glasswork.
Thematic Pandals: Many pandals these days are built around a specific theme. The themes can range from environmental issues (like conservation of rivers or wildlife) to technological advancements, historical events, or even popular culture. The architecture of the pandal is designed to reflect this theme, often incorporating multimedia elements.
Eco-friendly Designs: In recent years, there has been a push for sustainable and eco-friendly pandals. These are often constructed using biodegradable materials such as bamboo, paper, and cloth, with designs that minimize environmental impact.
3. Architectural Features
Structural Form: Traditionally, pandals were dome-shaped or cylindrical, but now they can take on all sorts of avant-garde shapes, from temples to spaceships to replicas of famous monuments like the Eiffel Tower or the Taj Mahal.
Facade and Entrances: The entrance of the pandal is often grand and acts as a focal point of the design. It may incorporate arches, columns, and ornate carvings, often reflecting the temple architecture of India.
Ceilings and Roofs: The roofs of pandals are a key area for artistic expression, ranging from elaborate canopies made of flowers to highly stylized, often abstract, designs using light and color.
Lighting: Pandals are spectacularly lit, with millions of light bulbs strung up in intricate patterns. The lighting not only enhances the aesthetics but also creates a divine ambiance, especially at night.
Interior Layout: The interior of the pandal is designed to accommodate the idol of Durga, with a focus on creating a spiritual environment. The idol is often placed on a raised platform, surrounded by artistic depictions of various deities, animals, and scenes from mythology.
4. Regional Variations
Kolkata Pandals: In Kolkata, Durga Puja pandals are known for their immense creativity and often become larger-than-life structures. Famous areas like Kumartuli, Behala, and Santoshpur are known for their extravagant pandals.
Delhi and Other Urban Centers: Pandal designs in metropolitan areas might incorporate modern styles, influenced by international trends, such as futuristic designs, art installations, or replicas of foreign monuments. These pandals often blend cultural elements with urban sophistication.
Rural and Smaller Town Pandals: These tend to have simpler, more rustic designs but are rich in cultural symbolism. Often constructed with bamboo, they may showcase more traditional and handcrafted artworks.
5. Innovative and Avant-Garde Designs
Optical Illusions: Some pandals are designed to give the illusion of floating structures, using materials like mirrors and lights to create mesmerizing visual effects.
Interactive and Immersive Designs: Some pandals now aim to create immersive experiences. Visitors can walk through installations that engage all their senses, with sounds, lights, and even augmented reality elements enhancing the experience.
6. Famous Pandals and Their Architects
Kumartuli Park (Kolkata): Known for its amazing artistry!
Back from a little half-term break down in South Devon. After a horrendous start with storm Barbara passing through and no chance for any quality time outdoors we were lucky with the remaining two days of our stay. We somehow managed to find those precious windows of sunshine in between rain showers and made most of it. On one of those golden moments we decided to spend some time at the fantastic Ayrmer Cove again, a National Trust maintained secluded beach with nice silvery cliffs and interesting rock formations (the shark fin). The sea was adequately rough for an autumn day and there was lots of foam building up. We even spotted a Portuguese man o' war lying in the sand for a bit of wildlife. The other nice thing was that we had that beach literally to ourselves until we decided to miss out on the next rain front and headed back up to the car.
For those interested, I made a small video of the cove: youtu.be/-VgjMlB49e8d
The well maintained Ghost Sign for SE&A Ridley seed merchants.
The Grade II Listed Ridley's Seeds Warehouse, Lower Town, Bridgnorth viewed from the bridge across the River Severn.
The building is now a public house - "Ridley's On the River".
For more photographs of Bridgnorth please click here:
Revisiting “Project Buried Treasure,” dug up some iPhone shots from my last visit to Chicago.
#ProjectBuriedTreasure
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With its wings fully extended it is easier to see how a Brown Pelican can maintain a glide ratio that appears to exceed 100 to 1 when it sails across the bayou only inches above the surface.
We are clearly in pelican season lately but this is one of a very few adult birds encountered so far on Armand Bayou.
Maintaining my social distancing on a walk across the Highbridge - looking from the Bronx side of the bridge back to Manhattan
131/366
29/100
A smoker and his friend, presented here as part of the mini portraiture series within my Human Condition III album.
An editorial composition was chosen to highlight the main subject and maintain the interplay with a secondary subject. I hope you find this interesting and complimenting others in the series such as Hombre en la Reflexión, Mujer con niño and ¡Señora!
Looking forward to your comments!
On the reserve we maintain a disease free buffalo herd of about 40 animals. These are kept apart from the rest of the reserve and restricted to a camp of around 300 hectares. In Summer there is enough grazing to sustain them and in Winter their feed is supplemented. To prevent in breeding the young bulls are sold and the cows kept and the breeding bull is replaced every few years.
Maisie and I entered and drove around the camp on 4 occasions during our two week visit and never saw a single Buffalo! In our defence the buffalo could have been right next to us but the grass was taller than me.
Anyway, Priscilla, the conservation officer on the reserve, offered to take us in and find the herd for us. We followed her bakkie and the guy on the back called for the Buffalo in Afrikaans (they don't understand English) and eventually the entire herd surrounded us, leaving quite quickly when they realised they weren't going to be fed.
So this picture was taken in a hurry, in unforgiving light and as a consequence is also not as sharply focused as I would like. Conversion to B&W low key felt like a good option.
Kudu Private Nature
Mpumalanga
South Africa
Argentina maintains the small Caillet-Bois refuge hut on D'Hainaut Island in Mikkelsen Harbor, Antarctica. During the southern summer the island is populated mostly by Gentoo penguins.
This old farmstead seems abandoned but otherwise the property appears to be maintained. I believe there was a farmhouse here too at one time (in the grassy foreground).
Mobile photo developed using Darktable 3.6.0. Additional post-processing and texture work done in Photoshop.
Approximately 50km east of Vancouver is the Stave River in Mission. Although it is only several kilometres long, this river offers year-round fishing opportunities for Lower Mainland anglers. The BC Hydro Dam maintains the water height at a fishable level even on rainy Autumn days. While the salmon season can be quite crowded on weekends, solitude can be found during the winter and spring flyfishing seasons when coastal cutthroat trout are abundant.
Free soloing is the most dangerous form of rock climbing where free soloists climb above 'safe' heights where a fall would almost certainly be fatal. They climb without ropes or other protective equipment, using only their special climbing shoes and bag of climbing chalk to help maintain friction of their hands with the rock.
Inspired by watching the sport climbing at the Olympics, Brian attempts his first free solo. This image shows him successfully negotiating the serious crux pitch, his climbing partner looking on anxiously. Of course, snails have no need of chalk, making use of their natural sticky slime to keep them as safe as possible.
For Smile on Saturday theme 'Going Up!'
No snails were harmed in the making of this photograph.
A good way to visit family while maintaining a good, if not perfect, social isolation. I was pretty sure I could maintain social distance outdoors with my son and daughter-in-law, but I wasn't so sure about my 3 year-old grandson. Not seeing my grandchildren for the past two months has been the most difficult part of this Covid 19 crisis. But he was so excited about exploring, it was hard to keep up with him. A delightful and exhilarating day. One photo a day. (136/366) Teatown Lake Reservation, Ossining, NY -- May 15, 2020
This image will continue to remind me of Hidden Grove, because of the way these branches partially reveal themselves to my camera. As if shy in nature, they give us only enough to let us know they are there. Hidden behind a tree trunk, and using another to gain confidence, they contribute their beauty to the surrounding.
"Hidden Grove is a beautiful forested area with a network of hiking trails that pass by several enormous Douglas Fir trees. Located just north of Sechelt, the many different paths offer a unique opportunity to plan your route through a lush west coast forest, on routes that are well maintained."
Hey fellow reef enthusiasts and followers!
About eight months ago, I faced a challenging moment in my marine adventure. While I was away on vacation, the caretaker of my beloved reef tank accidentally dosed it with a chemical that led to a complete wipeout. After a decade of nurturing a vibrant ecosystem filled with both hard and soft corals, it was a tough blow.
However, as any marine biologist will tell you, maintaining a delicate balance of hard and soft corals in a home reef tank is an art that comes with challenges and a thin margin for error. Each species has its own unique requirements, making their cohabitation tricky but incredibly rewarding.
Now, after seven months of hard work and dedication, I’m excited to share this photo of my complete restart! While it’s heart-wrenching to face setbacks like this, it’s also a chance to learn, rebuild, and create something even more spectacular. Join me on this journey as I work to establish a thriving reef community once again!
Happy reefing, everyone! 🌊✨
150271 crosses the River Don in the heart of Sheffield and passes some derelict industrial buildings some of which are finding new uses as gyms and meeting halls serving the community.
150271 was working the 1813 from Huddersfield.
This shot is a composite image. I was pushing the limits of low light photography, the two images are separated by only 12 minutes. I have only used the light plume from the street lamps from the second image. This has enabled me to maintain a low grain image with that lighting up feel. The last step was to darken the whole image by 1 stop.
ferryman, maintaining dental hygiene
awaiting a ride to cross the BURIGANGA river.
Bangladesh is flat country with so many rivers.
Larger ferries are the the only ways to get certain places.
Many go down when they load hundreds on them.
But no one makes big deals about tornadoes,
hurricanes,cyclones or typhoons in Bangladesh when tens of thousands of people die.
Here in the USA if it rains 1/4" it becomes a headline news item.
SADARGHAT
DHAKA
Photography’s new conscience
these days it's 10% cleaning surfaces i haven't touched for 4 months, 10% throwing out precious valuables i didn't know i owned, 10% pretending to exercise, 20% playing fetch with the dog (not this one), and 50% waiting for the next meal. cheers.
Designed by Kamiya Satoshi
Folded by me
Paper : 1m ??cm
My first thought was , 'There's ver.3.5 for both of Phoenix and Ryuzin by him, but why not Bahamut?'
So I started designing the version 3.5 of the model Bahamut(took me weeks..little by little..)
I used really thin Kraft paper and the size was.. well, I'm definitely sure it was longer than 1m.
Why so long? I first intended to fold the version in Final Fantasy 10, but the thing is that the paper was too thin to maintain the round shape on the back. So even though I got the flaps to fold the round one on its back, after folding it I just hid the flaps.
I used inner-grafting to make the legs and arms more longer and the resulting layers were used to fold scales on its tale and abdomen. The resulting layers from the flaps of the round part(that was eventually hidden) were pulled out to make the wing.
Anyways, hope you guys like it! :D
The Ludwigstraße in Munich is one of the city's four royal avenues next to the Brienner Straße, the Maximilianstraße and the Prinzregentenstraße. Principal was King Ludwig I of Bavaria, the avenue is named in his honour. The city's grandest boulevard with its public buildings still maintains its architectural uniformity envisioned as a grand street "worthy the kingdom" as requested by the king. The Ludwigstraße has served also for state parades and funeral processions.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The historic and beautifully maintained revival-style mansion was built in 1851 and occupies 29+ acres. There are 24 rooms including 7 guest bedrooms, 8 full bathrooms and private living quarters on the 3rd floor. Comes with a fully furnished gourmet kitchen. Banquet facility can accomodate up to 200. An octagon banquet hall provides additional opportunities for the owner and adds to the splendor of the structure. There is a cottage with 3 private bedrooms as well as 3 additional structures. The inn is situated in the charming Gaslight Village of Wyoming, NY which features quaint shops and the Appleumpkin Fall Harvest Festival. Letchworth State Park (the “Grand Canyon of the East”) is just a stone’s throw away, where there are many activities such as hiking, hot air ballooning, museums, historical sites and much more! Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls all within about an hour’s drive from this location, giving the new owner access to approximately 2 million people in a 60 mile radius. An hour’s drive (or less) from these cities brings you back to the restful elegance of the Hillside Inn.
Historic Hillside Inn mansion built in 1851. Formerly both a spa in the 1850?s, to private residence, to Bed & Breakfast. Twenty four fully furnished rooms (7 which are guest rooms) with 8 full bathrooms, 13 fireplaces, private living quarters on the 3rd floor of the main house are loaded to the rafters with history and charm. An octagon banquet hall as well as 3 additional structures add to the grandeur of this 29+ acre estate. Could be used for a private estate or Commercial. Visited by Susan B Anthony, The Roosevelt's, and many other historic figures. Mineral water stream on the premises with natural granite. This site is truly picturesque with beautiful surroundings and loaded with history.
The castle and garden at Sissinghurst Castle in the Weald of Kent, in England at Sissinghurst village, is owned and maintained by the National Trust. It is among the most famous gardens in England and is grade I listed.
Sissinghurst's garden was created in the 1930s by Vita Sackville-West, poet and gardening writer, and her husband Harold Nicolson, author and diplomat. Sackville-West was a writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group who found her greatest popularity in the weekly columns she contributed as gardening correspondent of The Observer, which incidentally—for she never touted it—made her own garden famous. The garden itself is designed as a series of 'rooms', each with a different character of colour and/or theme, the walls being high clipped hedges and many pink brick walls. The rooms and 'doors' are so arranged that, as one enjoys the beauty in a given room, one suddenly discovers a new vista into another part of the garden, making a walk a series of discoveries that keeps leading one into yet another area of the garden. Nicolson spent his efforts coming up with interesting new interconnections, while Sackville-West focused on making the flowers in the interior of each room exciting.
For Sackville-West, Sissinghurst and its garden rooms came to be a poignant and romantic substitute for Knole, reputedly the largest house in Britain, which as the only child of Lionel, the 3rd Lord Sackville she would have inherited had she been a male, but which had passed to her cousin as the male heir.
The site is ancient; "hurst" is the Saxon term for an enclosed wood. A manor house with a three-armed moat was built here in the Middle Ages. In 1305, King Edward I spent a night here. It was long thought that in 1490 Thomas Baker, a man from Cranbrook, purchased Sissinghurst, although there is no evidence for it. What is certain is that the house was given a new brick gatehouse in the 1530s by Sir John Baker, one of Henry VIII's Privy Councillors, and greatly enlarged in the 1560s by his son Sir Richard Baker, when it became the centre of a 700-acre (2.8 km2) deer park. In August 1573 Queen Elizabeth I spent three nights at Sissinghurst.
After the collapse of the Baker family in the late 17th century, the building had many uses: as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Seven Years' War; as the workhouse for the Cranbrook Union; after which it became homes for farm labourers.
Sackville-West and Nicolson found Sissinghurst in 1930 after concern that their property Long Barn, near Sevenoaks, Kent, was close to development over which they had no control. Although Sissinghurst was derelict, they purchased the ruins and the farm around it and began constructing the garden we know today. The layout by Nicolson and planting by Sackville-West were both strongly influenced by the gardens of Gertrude Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens; by the earlier Cothay Manor in Somerset, laid out by Nicolson's friend Reginald Cooper, and described by one garden writer as the "Sissinghurst of the West Country"; and by Hidcote Manor Garden, designed and owned by Lawrence Johnston, which Sackville-West helped to preserve. Sissinghurst was first opened to the public in 1938.
The National Trust took over the whole of Sissinghurst, its garden, farm and buildings, in 1967. The garden epitomises the English garden of the mid-20th century. It is now very popular and can be crowded in peak holiday periods. In 2009, BBC Four broadcast an eight-part television documentary series called Sissinghurst, describing the house and garden and the attempts by Adam Nicolson and his wife Sarah Raven, who are 'Resident Donors', to restore a form of traditional Wealden agriculture to the Castle Farm. Their plan is to use the land to grow ingredients for lunches in the Sissinghurst restaurant. A fuller version of the story can be found in Nicolson's book, Sissinghurst: An Unfinished History (2008).
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sissinghurst_Castle_Garden and www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sissinghurst-castle-garden
At night time
Yesterday afternoon, after another disappointing result for my team, we set off to Liverpool.
We went to see OMD (Orchestral manoeuvres in the dark), a pop band still going from the early 1980’s.
Me and Tracey saw them a couple of years ago at the Liverpool Empire. Last night they played at the M&S Bank arena, a brilliant venue.
Back to the photo… how could I not capture this amazing and beautiful building as we walked passed it?!!
…The Port of Liverpool Building also Grade II listed, it was the first of the Three Graces to ‘grace’ the waterfront with its presence, with construction starting in 1904 and opening in 1907 as the headquarters of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. The MDHB housed here for 87 years right up until 1994.
In 2006 and until 2009, the Edwardian Baroque style building underwent a major £10m restoration, bringing many of its original features back to life.
The building’s central dome is the main focal point of the building - though it wasn’t actually part of the original design of the building, it was inspired by an unused design for Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral that was developed several year’s earlier. It’s noted for its ornate architectural features and expensive decorative features that are reflective of Liverpool’s maritime links and importance in maintaining the British Empire”
- VisitLiverpool.com
Liverpool waterfront
Photo By: Cate Infinity
Shot in Second Life Official Viewer in Ultra. No edit.
Location: Drone Haven
Backstory: Drone Haven, a city long abandoned by humanity, stands as a haunting testament to the fleeting importance of humankind in the grand narrative of nature. Rusted skyscrapers rise from fractured earth, their decayed frames wrapped in vines and moss, bearing witness to nature’s quiet reclamation. Faded posters and graffiti whisper a warning from a forgotten era: “The End is Near!” On the city’s outskirts, a survivalist camp briefly clung to life. Dreamers and pragmatists built it as humanity’s final stand, cultivating gardens and creating shelters in defiance of the inevitable. Yet disease, dwindling resources, and discord proved stronger than their resolve. The camp fell silent, overtaken by creeping greenery, its remnants a poignant symbol of resilience overshadowed by decline. At the city’s heart lies the ruins of a once-famous butcher shop, its walls weathered and its windows shattered. Moss softens its rusted fixtures, and vines snake through every crevice. Outside, the grim message echoes: “The End is Near!” This decaying relic serves as a stark reminder of human hubris and the fragile nature of survival. Amid the ruins, drones roam like spectral caretakers. Left by their creators, these machines continue to perform their programmed duties, planting native flora during their annual Echocycle rituals. They maintain Drone Haven as a paradox—a city simultaneously embodying human ambition and nature’s enduring dominance. Yet even the drones are not eternal. As creations of humankind, they too are bound by the finite nature of energy. Like their creators, they will eventually exhaust their resources and cease to function. This juxtaposition—humanity’s ephemeral existence and its legacy in the mechanical species it forged—underscores the fragility of all things, natural or artificial. Drone Haven whispers a layered tale: a reminder that humanity, for all its self-importance, is but a fleeting presence in the face of nature’s vast, enduring cycles. In its rusted beams and flowering vines, it reflects on collapse, resilience, and the inescapable truth that all energy is finite and ultimately consumed.
Bessa-17-01-2024-006
The old cobbled road through the miliitary training area is locally known as "Panzerstraße" 'tank road'. It has probably been constructed in imperial times and is in a remarkable condition for its age and the minimal maintainance work it requires. Unlike tarmac it is not liable to potholes during winter. But then it does rattle your bones anyway...
Voigtländer Bessa 2, Color-Heliar 3.5/105, yellow filter, Bergger Panchro 400 developed in Rodinal 1+25 in Rodinal using a Jobo drum, scanned on an Epson V800, adjusted in Lightroom.
The Great Potoo (Nyctibius grandis) is a true master of camouflage, blending seamlessly into its surroundings with its bark-like plumage. This image was taken in Restrepo, Meta, Colombia, just a few blocks from the central park during an urban photo walk. Despite being in a bustling town, this nocturnal bird remained perfectly still, relying on its cryptic pattern to avoid detection. Capturing it in daylight was a rare opportunity to showcase its remarkable adaptations.
Photographed using a Canon R5 with an 800mm f/11 lens and a 1.4x extender, I set my exposure to 1/180 sec, f/16, and ISO 1600 to balance sharpness and depth of field while maintaining enough light for a well-exposed shot. The soft, diffused lighting filtering through the canopy helped bring out the intricate feather details without harsh shadows. This encounter was a reminder that incredible wildlife can thrive even in unexpected urban spaces, making conservation awareness even more essential.
©2023 Adam Rainoff Photographer
ARHS photo charter to celebrate the 70th birthday of the F3's. A well organized event ran smoothly, despite the cloudy, rainy weather. These EMD locomotives are beautifully restored and maintained by a dedicated group, and it was a pleasure to participate in this event.
Front View
1911 Baker Electric Special Extension Coupe, Model V
In the first decades of the 20th century, electric vehicles seemed poised for primacy. Early internal-combustion engines were rudimentary, dangerous, and difficult to operate, requiring all sorts of pump priming and starter torqueing. Those tasks were uncouth for the wealthy gentlemen who were the automobile’s first customers and downright risky for the era’s women, clothed in voluminous, billowing Edwardian dresses and patriarchal notions of competence. Electric cars, on the other hand, were extremely simple to use. So long as the heavy batteries were maintained and charged, all one had to do was click the on switch, twist the go lever, and roll.
Having founded the American Ball Bearing Company in 1895, Midwestern engineer Walter C. Baker understood the basics of carriage production. This background gave him faith that he could make the leap into car building. Teaming up with his father-in-law and brother-in-law, he started the Baker Motor Vehicle Company in Cleveland in 1899. Seeing the aforementioned advantages inherent in electric vehicles, Baker decided to place his faith in this powertrain.
“Number one, it’s comfortable, and it’s not terribly difficult to drive,” said Stew Somerville, a volunteer mechanic at the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome museum in upstate New York, which holds a 1911 Baker in its eclectic collection. “But part of the attraction of the electric automobile was the fact that it did not emit gasoline fumes, you didn’t have to crank-start the engine, there was no big wheel to wrestle with. It was a very smooth-handling automobile. You didn’t even have a loud, offensive horn. There’s a dainty little bell to warn of its coming.” Period ads were frequently, although not exclusively, pitched directly at women.
Baker’s first car to market was a two-seater, the Imperial Runabout. Priced at a competitive $850, it was first shown in New York at the city’s (and nation’s) first auto show. It attracted a number of notable buyers, including Thomas Edison, who purchased one as his very first car. (Edison designed the long-lived nickel-iron batteries used in some Baker vehicles.) By 1906, Baker was, briefly, the world’s top producer of electric vehicles.
But like many of his cohort in the emergent automotive industry, Baker wasn’t just in it for the business. He was in it for the speed. As his company was enjoying success in the consumer market, he was pursuing his dream by developing a series of advanced, record-setting racing cars. His first, the Torpedo, was built in 1902, at great personal expense to Baker. With its 11 batteries, 14-hp mid-mounted motor, outrageously low-slung 48-inch height, streamlined and lightweight white-pine and oilcloth body, and bizarre webbed canvas seat restraints, it seemed poised to set a world land speed record.
Sadly, in that year’s Automobile Club of America speed trials on Staten Island, the car was involved in a disastrous crash. After crossing the 1-kilometer (0.6 mile) mark in just over 30 seconds, Baker and his co-driver lost control and crashed into a group of spectators. One person died at the scene, and another died later from injuries. The drivers were both arrested and charged with manslaughter but were freed when it was determined that the crowd had pushed past protective barriers and onto the course. (Baker’s innovative safety harness likely protected the car’s occupants from serious injury.)
Further attempts with two smaller, single-seater race cars he named Torpedo Kid were also employed in pursuit of the land speed record but were subsequently abandoned following another, nonlethal spectator crash in 1903. Baker has often been noted as the first person to cross the 100-mph barrier, although his records weren’t official due to these wrecks.
Given this peril, Baker decided to forgo his quest for top speed. As gasoline-powered vehicles increased in popularity and gained infrastructural support, he shifted his attention instead to diminishing the electric car’s liabilities, particularly their limited range. He worked diligently on new battery designs, shaft drives, and other componentry. In 1910, Baker’s new chief engineer, Emil Gruenfeldt, set a record for distance driven on a single charge, taking a Baker Victoria for a 201-mile trip at an average speed of 12 mph. Not exactly Ludicrous speed, but an impressive feat nonetheless.
Baker’s successes gave the company prominence among the elite, and the company capitalized on this publicly. In advertisements around 1909, the brand boldly boasted about the King of Siam owning a Baker. The company made a similar splash in American politics when President William H. Taft’s administration purchased a 1909 model as one of the White House’s first automobiles. (A steam-powered White and two gasoline-powered Pierce-Arrows were also included, Taft hedging his bets on how the battle of the powertrains was going to play out.) Taft later added a 1912 Baker Victoria that went on to be driven by five First Ladies. The Baker brand maintains some celebrity allure today, with car-collecting comedian Jay Leno holding a 1909 model in his expansive collection.
As a means of offsetting some of the powertrain’s inherent shortcomings, Baker made investments in battery-charging infrastructure. The brand announced plans to open stations at every major intersection in Cleveland and to grow the network from there, although this effort became cost prohibitive and never came to fruition. Expansion into the production of electric trucks, police patrol wagons, and even trucks and bomb handlers for the U.S. Army during World War I was not enough to fend off the rising dominance of the internal-combustion engine, especially after the proliferation of the electric starter, first available on the 1912 Cadillac, significantly increased safety and convenience. By 1915, the Baker company was defunct.
By Brett Berk, Car and Driver
GB&W train 2 is making its morning run across western Wisconsin with 318, 311, 312 and 117 cars. Sights like this made the GB&W a favorite of mine with clean well maintained Alco's moving right along with big trains. While I didn't have a lot of luck with my hometown SOO's RS27's I more than made up for it with the GB&W's four unit fleet of stubby nosed beasts. A lot of fans seemed to think the RS27 was not what you would call good looking but they seemed all business to me and I really liked the look. They say there's no accounting for taste:). September 21, 1979. A rescan.
I think this is a wonderful and unusual flowering plant that has the ability to change the colour of its petals during the lifetime of the flower and therefore on just one bush you can have a variety of different coloured flowers all at the same time. The flowering season can be very long depending on where you live and also if the temperature does not drop too much during the winter months. Lantana can spread quite a lot, but it can be maintained easily in gardens by pruning, but if they grow in the wild they can grow very large and grazing animals will not eat this plant as it is poisonous to them. When the flowers fade they form fruits which many birds enjoy and in this way the plant can propagate. Butterflies love these plants as well.
The lighthouse at New Brighton on the Wirral, tides out and the sun is not.
New Brighton Lighthouse (also known as Perch Rock Lighthouse and called Black Rock Lighthouse in the 19th century) is a decommissioned lighthouse situated at the confluence of the River Mersey and Liverpool Bay on an outcrop off New Brighton known locally as Perch Rock. Together with its neighbour, the Napoleonic era Fort Perch Rock, it is one of the Wirral's best known landmarks.
The name comes from a Perch; a timber tripod supporting a lantern first erected in 1683 as a crude beacon to allow shipping to pass the rock safely. As the Port of Liverpool developed in the Nineteenth Century the perch was deemed inadequate as it required constant maintenance and only produced a limited light. Construction of the present tower began in 1827 by Tomkinson & Company using blocks of interlocking Anglesey granite using dovetail joints and marble dowels. It was designed to use many of the same construction techniques used in the building of John Smeaton's Eddystone Lighthouse 70 years earlier.[4] Modelled on the trunk of an oak tree, it is a free standing white painted tower with a red iron lantern. It is 29 m (95 ft) tall. It was first lit in 1830 and displayed two white flashes followed by a red flash every minute; the light-source was thirty Argand lamps, mounted on a three-sided revolving array (ten lamps on each side, with red glass mounted in front of one side). There were also three bells mounted under the gallery to serve as a fog signal; they were tolled by the same clockwork mechanism that caused the lamps to revolve.
The lighthouse was in continuous use until decommissioned in October 1973 having been superseded by modern navigational technology. Although the lighting apparatus and fog bell have been removed, the lighthouse is very well preserved and retains many features lost on other disused lighthouses. It was restored and repainted in 2001 when an LED lightsource was installed which flashed the names of those lost at sea; including all the 1,517 victims of the sinking of the Titanic. At low tide, it is possible to walk to the base of the tower, but a 25-foot ladder is needed to reach the doorway. The lighthouse is privately owned and maintained by the Kingham family, and is a Grade II* listed building.
Another plan to illuminate the lantern using LEDs and solar panels was achieved with a grant from the Coastal Revival and New Brighton Coastal Community Team (NBCCT) and has been operating (albeit only to be seen from land) since 2015. The new light replicates the old characteristic of two white flashes followed by a red flash.