I don’t really like to “rank” or “prioritize” music because it is not always as simple as comparing apples to apples. That being said, this is definitely one of my favorite albums I got for Christmas. Pink Floyd has always had some amazing talent- whether it’s some or all of the members- there’s some wonderful craftsmanship on this album!

Theme: Music To My Ears

Year Seven Of My 365 Project

The Year Gone By……………

This is an update to the previous article entitled "My First Three Months in Neurosurgery" published in the May 2007 issue of www.lifeinneurosurgery.com

Both these articles are online now !!

Over the past one year, there have been a lot of significant changes, and I was eager to shed some light on the essential ones; and hence this article!

The most enthralling experience was attending the Gulf Neurosurgery Conference in Bahrain where I got a chance to interact with renowned personalities like Dr.Ossama Al-Mefty. Listening to the advances made in Neurosciences and related fields made me want to be a part of the process.. to be a building block of history in the making. It amazed me as to how some of the well-established physicians are in the habit of giving due value to the experience of their peers and are open to suggestions and constructive criticism! All in all I had a great time and left the conference determined to carve a niche in the wonderful world of Medicine!

Initially I was a happy-go-lucky resident, living for the moment, rushing from one ward to another to complete the never-ending list of tasks in my logbook. I have matured now to one who has an evolving long-term plan for the patient (and for myself) in mind. This is one of the biggest merits of being a resident.

In due course of time you realize that prioritization is an art and it’s not something that comes on its own. It requires effort, and then before you know it.. it becomes effortless.

It was an accepted fact that the noblest profession in the world of yesteryears was the Medical profession and that specifically referred to us Doctors (with an M.B, B.S/ M.D degree) as the gifted ones right on top of the graph second only to supreme celestial beings.

What’s the scenario now?

Things haven’t changed since then… the medical profession is still regarded as the most noble profession to be in for the simple reason that it deals directly with the health of human beings physical, mental and spiritual and thus enables them to live to a ripe age, earn a decent living, bring up a family and die with the satisfaction of having done all that’s supposed to done in life!

The Doctor once regarded as the sole entity to the means of health has been given his fair share of fame and glory; Now is the time for the world to sing the songs of praise for the other significant Vital members of the healthcare system who have had a major role to play in assisting the doctor at different levels to implement the treatment,, to prevent complications and better their lifestyle...

The halo around the head of the Doctors should expand to include all the nurses, allied health care providers such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, auxiliary midwives, technicians, the biotech people who provide us with sophisticated precise instruments, the research labs and pharmacy personnel; All of them in no particular order have an equally important role to play in assisting the primary physician to provide the best care possible -- at a cost the community can afford.

Patient care SHOULD NOT be compromised at any level.

At this juncture its vital to know that the best way to treat a patient is to establish good teamwork comprising of various specialists available to provide quick assessment and give valuable feedback so that the necessary personnel are intimated followed by early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Regardless of how much one is being paid the real initiative to perform to one’s best has to come from within… As a Chinese proverb goes, ”Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life”. An indirect approach however is by applying monthly audits to identify defaulters and keep them in check! Such initiative enhancing measures may prove to be expensive to some.. but its well worth it !

On a more serious note I have come to believe that Complications Are Inevitable.

They form an essential basis.. the part and parcel of all informed consents.. and are aptly highlighted regardless of the magnitude of the treatment modality in question.

Every patient is different.

How a patient is going to respond to Drug A or B (pre, intra and post operatively), their body’s response to changing doses and their level of immunity at that time cannot be accurately assessed, and hence, leverage should be given. Needless to say these patients should be kept under close observation – preferably in rooms close to the nurses' station in the ward, or in ICU if the situation demands.

After a year, I have realized that 1+1 is not necessarily equal to 2.

This equation rarely holds time regarding anything in medicine, be it drug dosage, similar outcome after the same surgery in different patients and so on. It’s the same regarding policy and procedures. It does not produce the same result everywhere and hence, we notice the discrepancies between wards at the same hospital. The key to implementation is sizing up the number of co-workers, their strength and weaknesses on an individual level as well as in effective groups, and delegating job responsibilities accordingly.

Quality comes before quantity. At times, unrealistic expectations, drives people to unforeseen limits. I have come across intelligent patients who do, in due course of time, come to term with their disabilities and move on and are thankful to the caregiver for being honest. I feel it is our duty to portray an accurate picture about the patient’s condition to the relatives from the onset, regardless of how harsh the facts may be..

Practical problems I have faced so far vary between Nobel-prize winning examples of illegible handwriting and incomplete information over the phone from referring colleagues,, to patients deriving their own conclusions from previous episodes of doctor-shopping or worse -- from the experience of other patients!

I believe the key to successful documentation requires highlighting the relevant details but then again what may be irrelevant to the primary treating physician/department at that point of time may be of strong relevance to the one you are referring the case to.. and hence we should take note of this fact and make this our priority because in the end it is the patient that suffers and gets sleepless nights, not the physician.

I pray that one day (Insha Allah – God-willing) all institutions have a handwriting test incorporated as an integral part of the selection criteria!! I can’t emphasize this fact enough -- Clear legible handwriting/coherent communication is the key to smooth effective functioning at any institution.

At numerous occasions I have come across examples and I can speak with firm conviction and experience that such episodes peak during the end of working hours. They cause unnecessary inconvenience to the physician being consulted and may subsequently harm the patient.

Omitting facts is as big a crime as miscommunication, cell phones going off during conferences is plain annoying and residents not paying attention to the case being presented in the Morning report and worse – being self engrossed in their text books whilst the meetings are on is utterly disrespectful.. and the list is endless..

The aim of Medicine has not changed.. but the general outlook of healthcare providers has.. and therein lies the difference. At this day and age the goal of most graduates in all fields is quick success and easy money. I firmly believe that nowadays a contributing factor to rising medical negligence is physicians being paid for working overtime. As lady luck would have it physicians are not paid overtime in most institutions – for better or for worse.. but nursing staff get compensatory time off.. which is not really a ‘safe’ long term solution to counteract understaffing !!

I am convinced that ‘burn out’ is not a myth and it is not shameful to take a well-deserved break when one needs it..

Trust me - As a hospital employee a.k.a resident one should not expect a guardian angel to walk up to them and ask them to take a break.. Its their sole responsibility to decide when they need to stop and smell the roses.. Before they are a danger to themselves and to society!

Insha Allah (God-willing) May you achieve your short-term goals without compromising/sacrificing time, energy and consequently your health.

Essentially We are healthcare providers and love our profession, but a day should not come when we have to ‘taste our own medicine’ literally so to speak!!

No one is indispensable, and the show will go on..

I sincerely hope I perform to the best of my ability and ensure.. in my very own small way.. that Medicine prospers in the years to come!

And YES ! The invisible, yet existent umbilical cord always pulls me (and the rest of us) back to work; Here’s where we belong and here’s where we shall evolve into bright young able physicians of tomorrow – Insha Allah (God-willing) !

Fatima-Zahra Ma-el-ainin, Advisory Council, Rabat Hub, Morocco, speaking in the Prioritizing Mental Health session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 23 May. Congress Centre - Ignite. Copyright: World Economic Forum/ Valeriano de Domenico

[143/365] Tunnel of light.

I prioritized other things than photographing this weekend in Stockholm but at least I had my camera with me all the time and managed to take some shots.

Found this fantastic tunnel of light created by a street lamp highlighting the branches of a soaking wet tree. Hard to capture without a tripod though…

Have to go to sleep now...more uploads tomorrow...

Joan Mitchell (1925-1992) oil on linen at the Art Institute of Chicago. Written near the painting: Although influenced by Abstract Expressionist artists in New York in the early 1950s, Joan Mitchell did not prioritize self-expression: her often exuberant abstractions were "about landscape, not about me," she once explained. Mitchell painted large, light-filled canvasses animated by loosely applied skeins of bright color—here infused with the energy of a large metropolis. The title suggests a relationship between the painting's network of pigments and the nerves or arteries of an urban space. The sense of spontaneity conveyed in "City Landscape," however belies Mitchell's methods. Unlike many of her contemporaries, who were dubbed "action painters," Mitchell worked slowly and deliberately. "I paint a little," she said. "The I sit and look at the painting, sometimes for hours. Eventually, the painting tells me what to do."

PENSACOLA, Fla. (Dec. 16, 2020) Teresa Hiller, Naval Hospital Pensacolas (NHP) Immunization Program Manager administers one of the first COVID-19 vaccines to Lisa Fournier, a Clinical Pharmacist at NHP on Dec. 16, 2020. NHP was one of the facilities selected to receive the vaccine in a phased, standardized and coordinated strategy for prioritizing and administering the vaccine.

Prioritizing is all about split second decisions that brain makes in a Do or Die situations. The Phu Quoc sea shore's rocky ledge taught me this, as I ventured for a sunset shot on them. I slipped suddenly on the wet precarious rocks & saw my hand held precious items like tripod, camera, the brittle ND Grad Filters & a freezing fermented Barley Beverage Can, fly away from my fingers, only to make a slow motion, gravity drawn descent in different directions.

I dived full length with my left hand outstretched, landed with a sickening thud on my ribs, but truly befitting a retired cricketer, caught the Beer Can! The Camera Gear I found are pretty robust equipment & survived the rocky crash.

Cheers!

。鸡腿烧熟，就这么简单

酱油倒多了，黑糊糊的。

Is it success or not? How to define a dish is good or not, there are five constrains: color, fragrance, taste, sense, shape. But for homemade meal, we can not ask too much. If prioritizing those five conditions, I believe taste is the no.1, and fragrance, color shape, and sense are followings in sequence. Then, how to score a dish? If we give those five conditions different priorities, for example, the taste 5, fragrance 4, color 3, shape 2, and sense 1. For each of the category, we give the scores from 1-10. Then, a dish can be scored from 5 to 50.

What a wonderful dish-score-system, and what a geek I am.

Anyway, what I want to say is that this dish looks ugly, without great color and the gravy is too much. All of them will result in a quite low score in color, sense and shape. But from taste and fragrance's point of view, this dish is a great one.

Fatima-Zahra Ma-el-ainin, Advisory Council, Rabat Hub, Morocco, speaking in the Prioritizing Mental Health session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 23 May. Congress Centre - Ignite. Copyright: World Economic Forum/ Valeriano de Domenico

Kathy and I were happy to once again to attend the Chicano Park car show in San Diego, California, last week. We arrived very early, prioritizing securing a parking spot in close proximity to the event. Despite arriving at the early hour of 5:00 AM that Saturday morning, more than 50 cars were already in attendance.

In my opinion, this 1938 Buick stood out as the most impressive vehicle at the show. Its exceptional quality was evident even among the other exceptional cars on display that day. The paint job was particularly striking, characterized by its deep, lustrous appearance. The miniature murals adorning the vehicle’s sides were also noteworthy.

We are looking forward to attending next year’s show.

July 18, 2023 The Hill Live brings together caregivers, patients, clinical experts, and lawmakers to answer these questions and more as we discuss the fight against Alzheimer’s and breakthroughs in providing relief to those who suffer from agitation and aggression.

Alzheimer’s disease affects about 55 million people worldwide, including 6.5 million Americans, and has no cure. Some patients with Alzheimer’s sometimes show signs of extreme aggression or become restless and anxious as their brains lose the ability to negotiate with new stimulus.

Agitation is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s dementia and one of the most complex and stressful aspects of caring for people living with the condition. It is reported in approximately half of people with Alzheimer’s dementia and is associated with earlier alternative living placement.

What do patients, caregivers and families navigating the complexities of agitation associated with Alzheimer’s need to know? How are researchers and doctors better understanding risk factors and diagnoses? What policy actions can prioritize research, detection and treatment? And what are the access considerations for patients and their caregivers as they navigate this difficult symptom?

LOCATION

National Press Club Holeman Lounge, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045

Fatima-Zahra Ma-el-ainin, Advisory Council, Rabat Hub, Morocco, speaking in the Prioritizing Mental Health session at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2022 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, 23 May. Congress Centre - Ignite. Copyright: World Economic Forum/ Valeriano de Domenico

Everyone has a right to access our public lands, but few of Glacier's trails were created with accessibility in mind.

A first step to addressing limits to accessibility is to identify them.

Glacier and the National Park Service are using tools—like the orange, one-wheeled device pictured here alongside two rangers and a measuring tape—to evaluate trails in the park using the High Efficiency Trail Assessment Process (HETAP).

HETAP identifies trail variables: grade, cross-slope, trail width, surface material, and more.

This data allows park managers to prioritize future trail improvements, and allow visitors in the future to make more informed decisions.

This series of images delves into the enigmatic beauty and layered history of Venice, Italy, through an abstract lens, employing the scumbling and dry brush oil painting techniques. Each piece is a study in contrasts and textures, evoking the city's unique spirit and its constant dance with the elements. The use of cold, detached atmospheres alongside distressed and weathered surfaces speaks to the resilience and survival of Venice amidst its challenges. The incorporation of "havencore" and "warmcore" elements, along with a palette that prioritizes white and saturated blues, adds depth and emotion, inviting viewers to experience the city's dual nature of refuge and exposure.

The artworks move beyond traditional representations, infusing each scene with dramatic intensity and hyperbolic expressions to capture the essence of Venice's struggle and splendor. Labor is depicted not just as a physical act but as a poignant part of the city's soul, rendered through rough gesturalism that strips away the gloss to reveal raw, compelling truths. The dazzling chiaroscuro and striking contrasts of light and dark masterfully highlight the city's architectural marvels and the ephemeral beauty of its everyday moments, creating a harmonious chaos that is both unsettling and captivating.

This series aims to transport viewers to a Venice reimagined, where the interplay of light and shadow, the richness of saturated pigment pools, and the tactile quality of the painting techniques combine to offer a new perspective on the familiar. Through these images, Venice is seen as a living, breathing entity, marked by centuries of wear but standing resilient, its beauty undimmed by the passage of time. The absence of heavy paint strokes emphasizes the subtlety and complexity of the city's narrative, inviting a closer look and deeper reflection on its enduring allure and the stories etched into its very stones.

Poem: The Quiet Hours

In the quiet hours of the fading night,

Where shadows dance in the moon's soft light,

And the world whispers in tones so slight,

There lies a beauty unseen, out of sight.

Beneath the velvet cloak of the starry sky,

Where dreams take wing, and thoughts fly high,

The silent streets hold secrets, by and by,

As the gentle breeze sings a lullaby.

In the heart of the forest, where ancient trees stand,

Their leaves tell tales of a distant land,

A place where time holds still its sand,

In the quiet hours, so grand and so bland.

By the murmuring streams, under the watchful moon,

Where flowers bloom in the light of June,

The night unfolds its hidden boon,

In whispers of the dark, a silent tune.

In the quiet hours, there's a deep connection,

A moment of peace, in introspection,

A journey within, in quiet reflection,

Finding solace in nature's perfection.

As dawn breaks, and the night fades away,

The quiet hours gently sway,

Leaving behind the tales of the grey,

In the warmth of the coming day.

Haiku: Twilight's Whisper

Twilight's soft whisper,

Day and night's fleeting kiss,

Silent beauty speaks.

This World Environment Day, let’s all stand united in our pledge to prioritize our responsibilities towards Nature.

#Ada #Chikankari #Saveenviroment #Worldenviromentday

I went with a new processing angle here with high key being prioritized, this is one of my first attempts consciously aiming for this result.

+++ 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 CAC Sabre, sometimes known as the Avon Sabre or CA-27, was an Australian variant of the North American Aviation F-86F Sabre fighter aircraft. In 1951, Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation obtained a license agreement to build the F-86F Sabre. In a major departure from the North American blueprint, it was decided that the CA-27 would be powered by a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Avon R.A.7, rather than the General Electric J47. In theory, the Avon was capable of more than double the maximum thrust and double the thrust-to-weight ratio of the US engine. This necessitated a re-design of the fuselage, as the Avon was shorter, wider and lighter than the J47.

The CAC 27 Mk 41s’ last carrier operations took place in 1981 in the course of Melbourne’s involvements in two major exercises, Sea Hawk and Kangaroo 81, the ship’s final missions at sea. After Melbourne was decommissioned in 1984, the Fleet Air Arm ceased fixed-wing combat aircraft operation. This was the operational end of the Sabre Mk 41, which had reached the end of their airframe lifetime, and the Sea Sabre fleet had, during its career, severely suffered from accidents and losses: upon retirement, only eight of the original twenty-two aircraft still existed in flightworthy condition, so that the aircraft were all scrapped. The younger RAN A-4Gs were eventually sold to New Zealand, where they were kept in service until 2002.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 37 ft 6 in (11.43 m)

Wingspan: 37 ft 1 in (11.3 m)

Height: 14 ft 5 in (4.39 m)

Wing area: 302.3 sq ft (28.1 m²)

Empty weight: 12,000 lb (5,443 kg)

Loaded weight: 16,000 lb (7,256 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 21,210 lb (9,621 kg)

Powerplant:

1× Rolls-Royce Avon 208A turbojet engine with 8,200 lbf (36.44 kN)

Performance:

Maximum speed: 700 mph (1,100 km/h) (605 knots)

Range: 1,153 mi, (1,000 NM, 1,850 km)

Service ceiling: 52,000 ft (15,850 m)

Rate of climb: 12,000 ft/min at sea level (61 m/s)

Armament:

2× 30 mm ADEN cannons with 150 rounds per gun

5,300 lb (2,400 kg) of payload on six external hardpoints;

Bombs were usually mounted on outer two pylons as the mid pair were wet-plumbed pylons for

2× 200 gallons drop tanks, while the inner pair was usually occupied by a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinder

AAMs

A wide variety of bombs could be carried with maximum standard loadout being 2x 1,000 lb bombs

or 2x Matra pods with unguided SURA missiles plus 2 drop tanks for ground attacks, or 2x AIM-9 plus

two drop tanks as day fighter

The kit and its assembly:

This project was initially inspired by a set of decals from an ESCI A-4G which I had bought in a lot – I wondered if I could use it for a submission to the “In the navy” group build at whatifmodelers.com in early 2020. I considered an FJ-3M in Australian colors on this basis and had stashed away a Sword kit of that aircraft for this purpose. However, I had already built an FJ variant for the GB (a kitbashed mix of an F-86D and an FJ-4B in USMC colors), and was reluctant to add another Fury.

This spontaneously changed after (thanks to Corona virus quarantine…) I cleaned up one of my kit hoards and found a conversion set for a 1:72 CAC 27 from JAYS Model Kits which I had bought eons ago without a concrete plan. That was the eventual trigger to spin the RAN Fury idea further – why not a navalized version of the Avon Sabre for HMAS Melbourne?

The result is either another kitbash or a highly modified FJ-3M from Sword. The JAYS Model Kits set comes with a THICK sprue that carries two fuselage halves and an air intake, and it also offers a vacu canopy as a thin fallback option because the set is actually intended to be used together with a Hobby Craft F-86F.

While the parts, molded in a somewhat waxy and brittle styrene, look crude on the massive sprue, the fuselage halves come with very fine recessed engravings. And once you have cleaned the parts (NOTHING for people faint at heart, a mini drill with a saw blade is highly recommended), their fit is surprisingly good. The air intake was so exact that no putty was needed to blend it with the rest of the fuselage.

The rest came from the Sword kit and integrating the parts into the CAC 27 fuselage went more smoothly than expected. For instance, the FJ-3M comes with a nice cockpit tub that also holds a full air intake duct. Thanks to the slightly wider fuselage of the CAC 27, it could be mounted into the new fuselage halves without problems and the intake duct almost perfectly matches the intake frame from the conversion set. The tailpipe could be easily integrated without any mods, too. The fins had to be glued directly to the fuselage – but this is the way how the Sword kit is actually constructed! Even the FJ-3M’s wings match the different fuselage perfectly. The only modifications I had to make is a slight enlargement of the ventral wing opening at the front and at the read in order to take the deeper wing element from the Sword kit, but that was an easy task. Once in place, the parts blend almost perfectly into each other, just minor PSR was necessary to hide the seams!

Other mods include an extended front wheel well for the longer leg from the FJ-3M and a scratched arrester hook installation, made from wire, which is on purpose different from the Y-shaped hook of the Furies.

For the canopy I relied on the vacu piece that came with the JAYS set. Fitting it was not easy, though, it took some PSR to blend the windscreen into the rest of the fuselage. Not perfect, but O.K. for such a solution from a conversion set.

The underwing pylons were taken from the Sword kit, including the early Sidewinders. I just replaced the drop tanks – the OOB tanks are very wide, and even though they might be authentic for the FJ-3, I was skeptical if they fit at all under the wings with the landing gear extended? In order to avoid trouble and for a more modern look, I replaced them outright with more slender tanks, which were to mimic A-4 tanks (USN FJ-4s frequently carried Skyhawk tanks). They actually come from a Revell F-16 kit, with modified fins. The refueling probe comes from the Sword kit.

A last word about the Sword kit: much light, but also much shadow. While I appreciate the fine surface engravings, the recognizably cambered wings, a detailed cockpit with a two-piece resin seat and a pretty landing gear as well as the long air intake, I wonder why the creators totally failed to provide ANY detail of the arrester hook (there is literally nothing, as if this was a land-based Sabre variant!?) or went for doubtful solutions like a front landing gear that consists of five(!) single, tiny parts? Sadism? The resin seat was also broken (despite being packed in a seperate bag), and it did not fit into the cockpit tub at all. Meh!

Painting and markings:

From the start I planned to give the model the late RAN A-4Gs’ unique air superiority paint scheme, which was AFAIK introduced in the late Seventies: a two-tone wraparound scheme consisting of “Light Admiralty Grey” (BS381C 697) and “Aircraft Grey” (BS 381C 693). Quite simple, but finding suitable paints was not an easy task, and I based my choice on pictures of the real aircraft (esp. from "buzz" number 880 at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, you find pics of it with very good light condition) rather than rely on (pretty doubtful if not contradictive) recommendations in various painting instructions from models or decal sets.

I wanted to keep things simple and settled upon Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231) and Light Blue (FS 35414), both enamel colors from Modelmaster, since both are rather dull interpretations of these tones. Esp. the Light Blue comes quite close to Light Admiralty Grey, even though it should be lighter for more contrast to the darker grey tone. But it has that subtle greenish touch of the original BS tone, and I did not want to mix the colors.

The pattern was adapted from the late A-4Gs’ scheme, and the colors were dulled down even more through a light black ink wash. Some post-shading with lighter tones emphasized the contrast between the two colors again. And while it is not an exact representation of the unique RAN air superiority scheme, I think that the overall impression is there.

The cockpit interior was painted in very dark grey, while the landing gear, its wells and the inside of the air intake became white. A red rim was painted around the front opening, and the landing gear covers received a red outline, too. The white drop tanks are a detail I took from real world RAN A-4Gs - in the early days of the air superiority scheme, the tanks were frequently still finished in the old USN style livery, hence the white body but fins and tail section already in the updated colors.

The decals became a fight, though. As mentioned above, the came from an ESCI kit – and, as expected, the were brittle. All decals with a clear carrier film disintegrated while soaking in water, only those with a fully printed carrier film were more or less usable. One roundel broke and had to be repaired, and the checkered fin flash was a very delicate affair that broke several times, even though I tried to save and repair it with paint. But you can unfortunately see the damage.

Most stencils and some replacements (e. g. the “Navy” tag) come from the Sword FJ-3. While these decals are crisply printed, their carrier film is utterly thin, so thin that applying esp. the larger decals turned out to be hazardous and complicated. Another point that did not really convince me about the Sword kit.

Finally, the kit was sealed with matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and some soot stains were added around the exhaust and the gun ports with graphite.

In the end, this build looks, despite the troubles and the rather exotic ingredients like a relatively simple Sabre with Australian markings, just with a different Navy livery. You neither immediately recognize the FJ-3 behind it, nor the Avon Sabre’s bigger fuselage, unless you take a close and probably educated look. Very subtle, though.

The RAN air superiority scheme from the late Skyhawks suits the Sabre/Fury-thing well – I like the fact that it is a modern fighter scheme, but, thanks to the tones and the colorful other markings, not as dull and boring like many others, e. g. the contemporary USN "Ghost" scheme. Made me wonder about an early RAAF F-18 in this livery - should look very pretty, too?

In June 2020, after experiencing a devastating spring due to COVID, New York State announced that certain businesses could begin partially opening again. New York City’s response included a program called Open Restaurants, which allowed restaurants to use sidewalks and parking spaces for outdoor, socially distant dining. Owners quickly built temporary enclosures in the streets in front of their businesses to try and recover from months of shutdown. A small stretch of Brooklyn in February 2021 showed the variety and feel of these enclosures. Hopefully, the Open Restaurants initiative will help these businesses to survive and may even lead to a more permanent reorienting of streets to prioritize people over cars.

Project 365. Daily photo from 02/05/2023. Hipstamatic app on iPhone 13: Frank B lens, Manneken film.

Warm weather days in any given February are very rare, and with my scheduled running I wanted to make the most of the 48 degree afternoon. Ordinarily, I am sheltered from the cold as I run on the indoor track in my community; however, given the chance to stretch my legs and dive into nature (my true Happy Place) I will happily do so.

Patched with snow and melting ice, the limestone trail meanders through the woods, alongside a little stream which is occasionally stocked with trout in season. Unbound by the monotonous loop of an indoor track, my mind wanders as I run: appreciation for the natural world, thankfulness that I am alive today, amazement that I've built up the endurance to jog (well, really shuffle along) continuously for 1.5 miles. This natural world is my Happy Place--it always has been since childhood. As I round a corner, I notice a small pine tree decorated with homemade crafts. Apparently, these foam decorated purple, red, and pink hearts are meant to be encouraging to patrons of the trail. The one that instantly strikes me is this one: "Be Happy (smiley face emoji)" that's decorated with orange glue on a purple heart.

By prioritizing my health, forcing myself into a training plan to eventually run three miles, I have chosen happiness today. Of course, the decision comes with a trade-off as my family is at home without my presence. But I need to become fit, more fit, any slightest register of fit on the official fitness scale.

"To enjoy good health, to bring true happiness to one's family, to bring peace to all, one must first discipline and control one's own mind. If a man can control his mind he can find the way to Enlightenment, and all wisdom and virtue will naturally come to him."

~ Buddha

"Enough is Enough!"

Anti-UCP Rally

Edmonton, AB

From the event organizers:

"We're here to unite concerned citizens of Alberta in a movement against the current government, the United Conservative Party (UCP), because Enough is Enough.

We believe the UCP has let us down across various fronts, failing to prioritize the needs of everyday Albertans. Whether it's healthcare, electricity pricing, forest management, climate change, education, housing, the cost of living, renewables, or any other issue affecting our province, we share a common frustration: our government isn't working for us.

It's time for change. It's time for a government that truly represents the interests of all Albertans, present, and future. Join us as we mobilize and demand accountability. This is democracy in action.

Enough is Enough! Together, let's make our voices heard and build a better future for Alberta."

July 18, 2023 The Hill Live brings together caregivers, patients, clinical experts, and lawmakers to answer these questions and more as we discuss the fight against Alzheimer’s and breakthroughs in providing relief to those who suffer from agitation and aggression.

Alzheimer’s disease affects about 55 million people worldwide, including 6.5 million Americans, and has no cure. Some patients with Alzheimer’s sometimes show signs of extreme aggression or become restless and anxious as their brains lose the ability to negotiate with new stimulus.

Agitation is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s dementia and one of the most complex and stressful aspects of caring for people living with the condition. It is reported in approximately half of people with Alzheimer’s dementia and is associated with earlier alternative living placement.

What do patients, caregivers and families navigating the complexities of agitation associated with Alzheimer’s need to know? How are researchers and doctors better understanding risk factors and diagnoses? What policy actions can prioritize research, detection and treatment? And what are the access considerations for patients and their caregivers as they navigate this difficult symptom?

LOCATION

National Press Club Holeman Lounge, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20045

BB 306 as Medan switcher locomotive passing big railroad crossing.

In June 2020, after experiencing a devastating spring due to COVID, New York State announced that certain businesses could begin partially opening again. New York City’s response included a program called Open Restaurants, which allowed restaurants to use sidewalks and parking spaces for outdoor, socially distant dining. Owners quickly built temporary enclosures in the streets in front of their businesses to try and recover from months of shutdown. Views from small stretches of Brooklyn in early 2021 showed the variety and feel of these enclosures. Hopefully, the Open Restaurants initiative will help these businesses to survive and may even lead to a more permanent reorienting of streets to prioritize people over cars.

The practice of quarantine started in the fourteenth century in an effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics. Though considered vital in stopping the spread of disease, quarantine is also a great time to prioritize mental and physical well-being.

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Hello hello hello!

Yes, I agree that my lack of flickr-ing over the course of the past few months has been shameful, to say the least. My pro account has expired, but that will have to wait to be taken care of next paycheck, sad to say!

I’ve been a busy bee when it comes to my personal life since the last time we’ve seen each other, but that’s a long story for another day, I’m afraid.

Inspiration, if that’s what you’d like to call it, struck me while I was in the shower of all places tonight. I do realize it is nearly 3 o clock in the morning, and with work early on tomorrow’s horizon, I really should prioritize and head to bed. But my mind just starting whirling, and as any artist can relate, it can’t be completely shut out until documented.

I’ve only been 18 years old for a little over a month. I can’t exactly classify myself as “grown up” now, yet every person around me seems to say so. And that led me to thinking just how much I’ve changed in the past 4 years.

Forgive me for using a quote from a terrible movie (although I love the crap out of it’s cheesiness) but “Hell” really is a teenage girl. My adolescent years were far from the picture perfect paintings you see on television and movies. I wanted those years to be something near a scene of “Clueless”. Okay, maybe not so much the hooking up with a step-brother thing, but you get the point. As a youngin’, I always associated being a teenager with the most fun of your life. And while some girls do get this opportunity, I was one of the many that did not.

I was a late bloomer. Like, seriously late. I was that girl who didn’t need a bra until nearly the end of 8th grade, but started wearing -AA ones early to avoid gym class embarrassment. Being short , beyond the palest shade of white, and dusted everywhere with freckles, I was a walking target for the hellish bully girls.

Now I’m not saying my middle school years were a complete travesty, I met the girl who is still my best friend to this day in 7th grade. A few things in particular, however, did lead me to have a negative body image of myself for quite some time, as many girls do. When puberty did hit, it was not kind. I was plagued from then on with acne problems that, while not as severe now, still haunt me from time to time. I didn’t necessarily grow in height, but I did gain two cup sizes and a few pounds of hips and booty on top of that.

I stayed pretty awkward throughout high school and still have quite a few quirks, I’m still only 5 feet tall to this day and the only time my skin has ever even thought about tanning was during the constant sun exposure that is band camp. And even then, it mostly only burns.

Looking back it wasn’t so serious and is pretty much what any teenager goes through, but being that young girl was rough. It’s hard enough growing into the person you become during that time, and worrying YOURSELF about your imperfections, but having others point them out, mock them, and feel the need to tear you down because of them just makes the ride a thousand times bumpier.

And of course all throughout my struggles I had the best Mom a girl could ask for as an ally. She constantly provided me with encouraging words and support. The meanies at school were just jealous, one day I would appreciate what made me different and other people would too. I always ALWAYS shrugged this off as her just saying what she’s supposed to say as a Mom.

I recently had a run-in with one of the previously mentioned middle school bullies at my work. While she was polite (although I’m 98% sure she didn’t recognize me), the 13 year old girl in me still cringed and wanted to flee away to safety at just the sight of her.

It’s been a long road throughout those years, but I’ve come to realizations, just as my special momma said I would. While I’m nowhere near perfect or even as gorgeous as, let’s say …. Dianna Agron (I’m just a tad obsessed with her :P), I’m okay with that. Because I’m me, and I myself AM beautiful. It’s not shameful to feel beautiful even with your imperfections. It’s not as vain or conceited as a lot of people like to make it out to be. As a Mass Communications student, I see firsthand what the media does, and that’s exactly the opposite.

It took a lot for me to stop focusing on my flaws 24/7, and of course I still do it from time to time, but I can honestly say that these days, I feel pretty, sexy, beautiful and all of the above with no effort, and I can’t stress what an amazing feeling that is. I love with the porcelain, dotted and often red skin I am in.

Documenting my exact thoughts is pretty hard, ya’ll. I wish I could pluck the words and feelings from my brain a bit easier, but this is 2 pages in word … so I think you get the point.

And if anyone else is reading this, please know that no matter what you do, you are beautiful too. If I could just change one person’s perception, I’ll feel like my rambling tonight was worth something. :)

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

Some background:

The Georgian Air Force and Air Defense Division (თავდაცვის ძალების ავიაციისა და საჰაერო თავდაცვის სარდლობა; tavdatsvis dzalebis aviatsiisa da sahaero tavdatsvis sardloba) was established on January 1, 1992, and in September the Georgian Air Force conducted its first combat flight during the separatist war in Abkhazia. On August 18, 1998, the two divisions were unified in a joint command structure and renamed the Georgian Air Force.

In 2010, the Georgian Air Force was abolished as a separate branch and incorporated into the Georgian Land Forces as Air and Air Defense sections. By that time, the equipment – primarily consisting of Eastern Bloc aircraft inherited from the Soviet Union after the country’s dissolution – was totally outdated, the most potent aircraft were a dozen Suchoj Su-25 attack aircraft and a handful of MiG-21U trainers.

The TAM-1’s development was long and protracted, though, primarily due to lack of resources and the fact that the Georgian air force was in an almost comatose state for several years, so that the potential prime customer for the TAM-1 was not officially available. However, the first TAM-1 prototype eventually made its maiden flight in September 2017. This was just in time, because the Georgian Air Force had formally been re-established in 2016, with plans for a major modernization and procurement program. Under the leadership of Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Garibashvili the Air Force was re-prioritized and aircraft owned by the Georgian Air Force were being modernized and re-serviced after they were left abandoned for 4 years. This program lasted until 2020. In order to become more independent from foreign sources and support its domestic aircraft industry, the Georgian Air Force eventually ordered eight TAM-1s as Su-25K replacements, which would operate alongside a handful of modernized Su-25KMs from national stock. In the meantime, the new type also attained interest from abroad, e. g. from Bulgaria, the Congo and Cyprus. The IDF thoroughly tested two early production TAM-1s of the Georgian Air Force in 2018, too.

General characteristics:

Crew: 1

Length: 15.53 m (50 ft 11 in), including pitot

Wingspan: 14.36 m (47 ft 1 in)

Height: 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in)

Wing area: 35.2 m² (378 sq ft)

Empty weight: 9,800 kg (21,605 lb)

Gross weight: 14,440 kg (31,835 lb)

Max takeoff weight: 19,300 kg (42,549 lb)

Powerplant:

2× Rolls-Royce AE 3012 turbofans with 44.1 kN (9,920 lbf) thrust each

Performance:

Maximum speed: 975 km/h (606 mph, 526 kn, Mach 0.79)

Range: 1.000 km (620 mi, 540 nmi) with internal fuel, clean

Combat range: 750 km (470 mi, 400 nmi) at sea level with 4.500 kg (9,911 lb) of ordnance,

incl. two external fuel tanks

Service ceiling: 7.800 m (25,550 ft)

g limits: +6.5

Rate of climb: 58 m/s (11,400 ft/min)

Armament:

1× 35 mm (1.38 in) Oerlikon KDA cannon with 200 rds in two magazines

under the lower forward fuselage, offset to port side.

11× hardpoints with a capacity of up to 4.500 kg (9,911 lb) of external stores

The kit and its assembly:

This rather rigorous conversion had been on my project list for many years, and with the “Gunships” group build at whatifmodellers.com in late 2021 I eventually gathered my mojo to tackle it. The ingredients had already been procured long ago, but there are ideas that make you think twice before you take action…

This build was somewhat inspired by a CG rendition of a modified Su-25 that I came across while doing online search for potential ideas, running under the moniker “Su-125”, apparently created by someone called “Bispro” and published at DeviantArt in 2010; check this: (www.deviantart.com/bispro/art/Sukhoi-Su-125-Foghorn-15043...). The rendition shows a Su-25 with its engines re-located to the rear fuselage in separate nacelles, much like an A-10, plus a T-tail. However, as many photoshopped aircraft, the shown concept had IMHO some flaws. Where would a landing gear go, as the Su-125 still had shoulder wings? The engines’ position and size also looked fishy to me, quite small/narrow and very far high and back – I had doubts concerning the center of gravity. Nevertheless, I liked the idea, and the idea of an “A-10-esque remix” of the classic Frogfoot was born.

This idea was fueled even further when I found out that the Hobbycraft kit lends itself to such a conversion. The kit itself is not a brilliant Su-25 rendition, there are certainly better models of the aircraft in 1:72. However, what spoke for the kit as whiffing fodder was/is the fact that it is quite cheap (righteously so!) and AFAIK the only offering that comes with separate engine nacelles. These are attached to a completely independent central fuselage, and this avoids massive bodywork that would be necessary (if possible at all) with more conventional kits of this aircraft.

Another beneficial design feature is that the wing roots are an integral part of the original engine nacelles, forming their top side up to the fuselage spine. Through this, the original wingspan could be retained even without the nacelles, no wing extension would be necessary to retain the original proportions.

Work started with the central fuselage and the cockpit tub, which received a different (better) armored ejection seat and a pilot figure; the canopy remained unmodified and closed, because representing the model with an open cockpit would have required additional major body work on the spinal area behind the canopy. Inside, a new dashboard (from an Italeri BAe Hawk) was added, too – the original instrument panel is just a flat front bulkhead, there’s no space for the pilot to place the legs underneath the dashboard!

In parallel, the fin underwent major surgery. I initially considered an A-10-ish twin tail, but the Su-25’s high “tail stinger” prevented its implementation: the jet efflux would come very close to the tail surfaces. So, I went for something similar to the “Su-125” layout.

Mounting the OOB stabilizers to the fin was challenging, though. The fin lost its di-electric tip fairing, and it was cut into two sections, so that the tip would become long enough to match the stabilizers. A lucky find in the scrap box was a leftover tail tip from a Matchbox Blackburn Buccaneer, already shortened from a former, stillborn project: it had now the perfect length to take the Su-25 stabilizers! To make it fit on the fin, an 8mm deep section was inserted, in the form of a simple 1.5mm styrene sheet strip. Once dry, the surface was re-built with several PSR layers. Since it would sit further back on the new aircraft’s tail, the stinger with a RHAWS sensor was shortened.

On the fuselage, the attachment points for the wings and the engine nacelles were PSRed away and the front section filled with lots of lead beads, hoping that it would be enough to keep the model’s nose down.

Even though the wings had a proper span for a re-location into a low position, they still needed some attention: at the roots, there’s a ~1cm wide section without sweep (the area which would normally cover the original engine nacelles’ tops). This was mended through triangular 1.5 mm styrene wedges that extended the leading-edge sweep, roughly cut into shape once attached and later PSRed into the wings’ surfaces

The next construction site were the new landing gear attachment points. This had caused some serious headaches – where do you place and stow it? With new, low wings settled, the wings were the only logical place. But the wings were too thin to suitably take the retracted wheels, and, following the idea of a retrofitted existing design, I decided to adopt the A-10’s solution of nacelles into which the landing gear retracts forward, with the wheels still partly showing. This layout option appears quite plausible, since it would be a “graft-on” solution, and it also has the benefit of leaving lots of space for underwing stores, since the hardpoints’ position had to be modified now, too.

I was lucky to have a pair of A-10 landing gear nacelles at hand, left over from a wrecked Matchbox model from childhood time (the parts are probably 35 years old!). They were simply cut out, glued to the Su-25 wings and PSRed into shape. The result looked really good!

At this point I had to decide the model’s overall layout – where to place the wings, the tail and the new engine nacelles. The latter were not 1:72 A-10 transplants. I had some spare engine pods from the aforementioned Matchbox wreck, but these looked too rough and toylike for my taste. They were furthermore too bulky for the Su-25, which is markedly smaller than an A-10, so I had to look elsewhere. As a neat alternative for this project, I had already procured many moons ago a set of 1:144 resin PS-90A engines from a Russian company called “A.M.U.R. Reaver”, originally intended for a Tu-204 airliner or an Il-76 transport aircraft. These turbofan nacelles not only look very much like A-10 nacelles, just a bit smaller and more elegant, they are among the best resin aftermarket parts I have ever encountered: almost no flash, crisp molding, no bubbles, and perfect fit of the parts – WOW!

With these three elements at hand I was able to define the wings’ position, based on the tail, and from that the nacelles’ location, relative to the wings and the fin.

The next challenge: how to attach the new engines to the fuselage? The PS-90A engines came without pylons, so I had to improvise. I eventually found suitable pylons in the form of parts from F-14A underwing missile pylons, left over from an Italeri kit. Some major tailoring was necessary to find a proper position on the nacelles and on the fuselage, and PSRing these parts turned out to be quite difficult because of the tight and labyrinthine space.

When the engines were in place, work shifted towards the model’s underside. The landing gear was fully replaced. I initially wanted to retain the front wheel leg and the main wheels but found that the low wings would not allow a good ground clearance for underwing stores and re-arming the aircraft, a slightly taller solution was necessary. I eventually found a complete landing gear set in the scrap box, even though I am not certain to which aircraft it once belonged? I guess that the front wheel came from a Hasegawa RA-5C Vigilante, while the main gear and the wheels once belonged to an Italeri F-14A, alle struts were slightly shortened. The resulting stance is still a bit stalky, but an A-10 is also quite tall – this is just not so obvious because of the aircraft’s sheer size.

Due to the low wings and the landing gear pods, the Su-25’s hardpoints had to be re-arranged, and this eventually led to a layout very similar to the A-10. I gave the aircraft a pair of pylons inside of the pods, plus three hardpoints under the fuselage, even though all of these would only be used when slim ordnance was carried. I just fitted the outer pair. Outside of the landing gear fairings there would have been enough space for the Frogfoot’s original four outer for pylons, but I found this to be a little too much. So I gave it “just” three, with more space between them.

The respective ordnance is a mix for a CAS mission with dedicated and occasional targets. It consists of:

- Drop tanks under the inner wings (left over from a Bilek Su-17/22 kit)

- A pair of B-8M1 FFAR pods under the fuselage (from a vintage Mastercraft USSR weapon set)

- Two MERs with four 200 kg bombs each, mounted on the pylons outside of the landing gear (the odd MERs came from a Special Hobby IDF SMB-2 Super Mystère kit, the bombs are actually 1:100 USAF 750 lb bombs from a Tamiya F-105 Thunderchief in that scale)

- Four CBU-100 Rockeye Mk. II cluster bombs on the outer stations (from two Italeri USA/NATO weapon sets, each only offers a pair of these)

Yes, it’s a mix of Russian and NATO ordnance – but, like the real Georgian Su-25KM “Scorpion” upgrade, the TAM-1 would certainly be able to carry the same or even a wider mix, thanks to modified bomb racks and wirings. Esp. “dumb” weapons, which do not call for special targeting and guidance avionics, are qualified.

The gun under the nose was replaced with a piece from a hollow steel needle.

Painting and markings:

Nothing unusual here. I considered some more “exotic” options, but eventually settled for a “conservative” Soviet/Russian-style four-tone tactical camouflage, something that “normal” Su-25s would carry, too.

The disruptive pattern was adapted from a Macedonian Frogfoot but underwent some changes due to the T-tail and the engine nacelles. The basic tones were Humbrol 119 (RAF Light Earth), 150 (Forest Green), 195 (Chrome Oxide Green, RAL 6020) and 98 (Chocolate) on the upper surfaces and RLM78 from (Modelmaster #2087) from below, with a relatively low waterline, due to the low-set wings.

As usual, the model received a light black ink washing and some post-shading – especially on the hull and on the fin, where many details had either disappeared under PSR or were simply not there at all.

The landing gear and the lower areas of the cockpit were painted in light grey (Humbrol 64), while the upper cockpit sections were painted with bright turquoise (Modelmaster #2135). The wheel hubs were painted in bright green (Humbrol 101), while some di-electric fairings received a slightly less intense tone (Humbrol 2). A few of these flat fairings on the hull were furthermore created with green decal sheet material (from TL Modellbau) to avoid masking and corrections with paint.

The tactical markings became minimal, matching the look of late Georgian Su-25s. The roundels came from a Balkan Models Frogfoot sheet. The “07” was taken from a Blue Rider decal sheet, it actually belongs to a Lithuanian An-2. Some white stencils from generic MiG-21 and Mi-8 Begemot sheets were added, too, and some small markings were just painted onto the hull with yellow.

Some soot stains around the jet nozzles and the gun were added with graphite, and finally the kit was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish.

A major bodywork project – and it’s weird that this is basically just a conversion of a stock kit and no kitbashing. A true Frogfoot remix! The new engines were the biggest “outsourced” addition, the A-10 landing gear fairings were a lucky find in the scrap box, and the rest is quite generic and could have looked differently. The result is impressive and balanced, though, the fictional TAM-1 looks quite plausible. The landing gear turned out to be a bit tall and stalky, though, making the aircraft look smaller on the ground than it actually is – but I left it that way.

Bob Cusack, Editor-in-Chief of The Hill, interviews Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) during a policy briefing entitled “Prioritizing Patients: A Discussion on Outcomes-Based Care” sponsored by The Value Collaborative, PhRMA, and The Hill at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, June 13, 2017.

Nigeria, 2017: Education activist Malala Yousafzai (in black) meets with schoolgirls displaced by the Boko Haram crisis, in Maiduguri, epicentre of the crisis in the country’s north-east – where 3 million children need support to keep learning. “Nigeria is the richest country in Africa, but has more girls out of school than any country in the world,” Ms. Yousafzai said. “For these girls and for their country’s future, Nigeria’s leaders must immediately prioritize education.”

©UNICEF/UN072059/Abubakar

To see more: medium.com/photography-and-social-change

To learn more: www.unicef.org

I am at last happy to announce to you all my LEGO A-4E Skyhawk MOC – in John S. McCain III’s livery. If anyone reading has been following me for a long time – first off, I thank you sincerely for your support – some may remember the A-4E I built quite some time ago now, also in John McCain’s livery. This one is pretty much a ground up rebuild of my initial Skyhawk and is for the most part entirely a novel design.

The model itself, in terms of features, has retractable landing gear, space for a minifigure in the cockpit (BARELY), and deployable airbrakes. Due to the construction of the wing and the standards I wanted to prioritize for looks, I did not incorporate working flaps or leading edge slats like I had initially planned. However, like I said, my priority if in doubt was nailing the look and accuracy of the model on display – and I feel I have approximated that to the best of my current abilities… though I know I can always improve! Let me know your thoughts though!

In Somaliland, cash-for-work initiatives are repairing productive infrastructure prioritized by communities, such as water catchments to capture the next rains and maintain water availability and contour bunds to control soil erosion, promote water retention and increase production.

Read more about FAO and cash for work.

Photo credit must be given: ©FAO/F. Nyakairu. Editorial use only. Copyright FAO

The Abolition of Sex

An unabashed American feminist lawyer lays out how trans ideology is abolishing biological sex in favor of gender identity now being written into law. She points out that gender ideology wants to abolish sex whereas feminists want to abolish gender. Gender is a prison that keeps women in a position of subservience to men is what feminists are saying.

The term “gender identity” has no legal definition so can mean anything which makes it very hard to protect woman (and men) on the basis of their sex. As has been done in the past. This is of concern to the author because of the issue of women’s safety. Specifically of men being allowed into women’s bathrooms, changing rooms and locker rooms where women and girls expect to have privacy and security from male bodied persons. She addresses how if passed the Equality Act would prioritize gender identity over biological sex and thus no one would have the legal right to protect women’s spaces from men.

The following are court cases used to support Biden’s executive act.

Bostock vs Clayton case in 2020 in which two gay men sued for wrongful termination on the basis of their sexual orientation and won. Then followed Aimee Stephens case suing for sex discrimination owing to his transgender status. He was employed at a funeral home. When he came out as female and insisted that he should be able to wear the women’s uniform and use the women’s restroom he was fired. WolF the feminist organization defended women’s sex based rights by stating that 1) sex does not mean gender identity, 2) sex stereotyping is unlawful, 3) and would have dangerous implications for women’s employment, education and other arenas, 4) a ruling in favor would result in government compelled speech i.e. pronouns. The court specifically limited its ruling to Title VIII the employment sector. Biden expanded this to mean all sectors of society. It also did not include protection of gender identity only transgender status.

Gloucester County School Board vs Grimm (2020). Gavin Grimm a MtF student sues for the right to use the boys bathroom even though a gender neutral bathroom was available. Appeals court declares that a transgender identity is ambiguous. WoLF argues that enshrining gender identity would destroy the concept of sex discrimination but lost. Bostock ruling is now extended to Title IX in the Fourth Court Circuit. Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North and South Carolinas.

Doe vs Boyertown School District (2017). A boy Joel Doe plus others sues his school for allowing girls in locker room per the girls gender identity. The judges forbid the use of the phrase “opposite sex” because it interfered with the concept of gender identity and the students lost twice. The Supreme Court refused to take the case. Thus the question of whether schools can legally acknowledge the material reality of sex. Thus no more single sex facilities in schools in the Third Circuit—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the Virgin Islands.

Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools filed 2021. Four female track athletes sued because two boys were being allowed to compete as girls. Judge forbids the boys to be referred to as male, only as transgender females. He was asked to recluse himself but denied that motion. Thus severing judgement from material reality. Subjective belief is more important than objective scientific truth when deciding matters under the law. Case dismissed because boys had graduated. Girls appealed. Case still pending in Second Circuit court.

Hecox v. Little. Idaho signs into law the Fairness In Women’s Sports Act in 2020 along with 37 other states. A man claiming transgender status sues aided by ACLU describing him as an “adult woman” and that gender identity is a medical term and argues that sex is an internal, innate sense and that biological sex is imprecise. He wins. Sex is abolished. The state and two female athletes appeal. The Ninth Circuit sends it back to find out if still relevant since Hecox had dropped out of college.

B.J.P. v. West Virginia State Board of Education filed 2021. Another younger boy who was on puberty blockers sues the state for its woman’s sports law. And again the court blocks the law by deeming biological sex irrelevant.

Other issues: Reporting crime and crime statistics. Health statistics and research. Abolition of sex in journalism thus obscuring material reality. Also the prisons and women’s shelters. And the erasure of lesbians. Lesbian family shot in 2016 by trans woman Dana Rivers protesting Michfest. Lesbians are erased and can’t find each other.

Cancelling of dissenting feminists through deplatforming. The social media version of the medieval scold. A woman, Thistle Petersen charged with disorderly conduct and property damage as a hate crime for placing a sticker with the words “TERF collective “on a media box. Dismissed on first amendment grounds.

Preferred pronouns mandated city wide in San Francisco in 2021. Not yet challenged under First Amendment.

Ohio 2019. Professor of Philosophy Nicolas Merriwether sues school for disciplining him over his refusal to use a trans students pronouns. He lost but won an appeal.

Kara posits that the goal of the gender industry is to abolish material reality in order to favor lived experience over objective reality in order to “create a new reality of godlike freedom in which all have the ability to remake themselves in their own projected freedom”. Motivated by “the denial of nature and the limits it places on our ability to reimagine ourselves and the world”.

She quotes analysis of Foucault as having claimed that societal contingencies such as age of consent just happened by chance as opposed to being intentionally set by society. And quotes Judith Butler that women are discriminated against not because of exploitation by men, but because of the existence of the sex binary.

Kara’s theory of why this academic virus escaped from the lab is due to three factors. 1) The invention of the word transgender. 2) The explosion of corporate driven tech and medical practices. 3) The thorough embrace of the sexual exploitation of women and girls by the Left.

Points out that the word “transgender” created a fantasy that individuals could transcend gender norms, but was still attached to gender stereotypes so was more style than substance while successfully abolishing biological reality. The AGP driven industry objectifies women because being a sex object is what turns them on. Forced feminization is erotic. Turns women out of their category and turns them into a concept that anyone can inhabit.

Prioritize what matters; focus to achieve.

The designer of the Salmamundi-class heavy cruiser is unknown. The manufacturer is unknown. The original commissioner of the design is unknown. In fact, very little about the origins of this particular class of vessel are known. The reasons for this are obvious: the Salmamundi is a pirate vessel. In fact, it is the only known vessel to be exclusivley operated by pirates and other criminals, as well as being, as far as could be determined, designed and built by them.

The Salmagundi prioritizes above all else speed. It Is one of the fastest type of ship in the galaxy, capable of outrunning almost anything else. The standard tactic for this ship seems to be to lie in wait in a heavily trafficked area with all systems bar minimal life support deactivated. Once the passive sensores detect prey, it jumps to life, running down its target, boarding, seizing all valuables before making its escape. For this purpose it also has large storing capacity.

The immense power it draws on to accelerate comes at a price, however, as its shields are very weak, and its armour barely that of a light cruiser. Its large size means that entire pirate crews can live on it, negating the need for a vulnerable home base, but it also means the capture or destruction of one results in an enormous loss for a pirate faction. In fact, only one has ever been captured intact, by the Tracy-Nimmer Corporation. Most tend to be crewed very aggressively, as most pirates prefer death to capture, which often as not is a slower, more painful death.

The main opposition to this vessel is the Vanguard-class types of the Tracy-Nimmer Corporation, as well as the Elicerent-class of the Nova Corporation. The Salmagundi is able to outrun nearly all opponents, except for the Vanguard-class, which is more than powerful enough to destroy a Salmagundi with ease. The one captured Salmagundi proved a treasure trove of information, which the Tracy-Nimmer Corporation graciously shared to interested parties, for a price.

The only other major threat to this ship class is one of the most creative, unique and bizarre ship type. The Elicirent-class is visually identical to the Asinus-class cargo hauler of the Nova corporation. However, it is filled with explosives and completely devoid of life, sending out false readings and signals to fool pirate scanners. Once a pirate vessel attaches to board, the Elicirent simply blows up, usually taking the entire pirate crew along with it. A brilliant solution from a much smaller corporation that has neither the time or resources to build its own fleet of escorts. The concept was so successful that other companies soon copied it with their own designs. From then on any such decoy ship was simply called an Elicirent regardless of its actual design or class.

Such a huge influx of danger to pirates and criminals directly led to the Great Securing, whereafter only a few pirates, the most desperate or crafty ones, remained set in their ways and continued to wage their own, private war against honest citizens of the galaxy. But year after year, there are less and less of them...

Sauda trip in november 2007.

Used@

1 commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Åbødalen_Waterfall.jpg

2 Photos of Waterfalls

www.webparade.co.uk/2010/09/photos-of-waterfalls.html

3 www.noblearkventures.com/prioritizing-resources-based-mar...

Prioritize…

Write essays.

Design.

Paint.

Draw.

Sculpt ...

& Make time for sleep.

Situation is mad. I have it under control. Or do I?

ok back to work...

Celebrate the season of love with this heartwarming portrait featuring a giant red foil heart balloon! This shot captures a young girl sharing a joyful moment for Valentine’s Day 2026, reflecting this year's trend of prioritizing personal, heartfelt connections and family-ready celebrations.

The bold red of the balloon stands out as an iconic statement piece, a popular styling choice for 2026 that highlights presence and joy. Whether it’s for a family keepsake or a holiday greeting, this image embodies the warmth and simple beauty of shared love.

OP-ED

Commemorating World TB Day 2022

Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi

MARCH 23, 2022

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is here again to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the discovery of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis as TB’s causative agent by Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch. Having been associated with the program in Pakistan since 1998 or 1999 when we seriously initiated an inter-provincial dialogue on the need for a proper mechanism to adopt the World Health Organization’s DOTS strategy, this may be an excellent time to recount the successes and challenges that TB control programs have encountered in nearly a quarter-century. But let us take a broader view of things.

Neither Robert Koch nor those who invented the appropriate drugs and/or diagnostics replicable on national scales would be happy had they been alive to see the disease still prospering today in developing countries. The reasons for these are multifarious – some are fragile states with weak health systems, others have existential threats, some have not prioritized TB as a major health threat, but they all have one thing in common; they are not spending enough to control or eliminate the disease. As a result, multi-drug resistant strains of TB are appearing in the richest nations with the strongest health systems. But let me add that the emergence of COVID-19 has revealed that no health system in the world is really strong, particularly in terms of communicable disease control. The proverbial “Captain of Death,” as TB was once called, continues to wreak its havoc globally. In 2020, around 10 million, including 3.3. million women and 1.1 million children, fell ill with TB while 1.5 million died from it, many more than the new pandemic.

n Pakistan, we seem to have relied too much for too long solely on a medical solution to the social problem of TB.

Returning to Pakistan, it is fifth on the list of high-burden TB countries after India, China, Indonesia and the Philippines, with 600,000 new people getting the disease and 44,000 dying annually from it. The national and provincial programs took off in a big way from 2000 onwards and on March 24, 2001, TB was declared a national emergency. However, that sense of urgency seems to have diluted since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a significant lowering in case notifications as well as the expenditure on controlling TB.

TB control is based on the principle of treating and curing the existing pool of persons suffering from the disease to prevent them from infecting others. Thus, we have to identify as many TB patients as possible and cure them mostly with a six-month treatment regimen. Moving towards elimination by the year 2030, Pakistan will also need to provide preventive treatment to a sizable proportion (30-40 per cent) of its population, estimated to have latent TB without symptoms, to prevent them from developing active TB. While there are more than 5,200 public sector health centres providing free TB diagnostic care for 2 decades, we are yet missing 200,000 cases annually due to which the disease incidence is not lowering, despite significant investment from the government and donors, particularly the Global Fund, USAID, WHO and the Stop TB Partnership.

This year’s World TB Day comes around 8 months before the United Nations will review the progress of countries in controlling TB following the powerful 2018 declaration and has the theme: “Invest to End TB. Save Lives.” The message is clear. We have to look beyond COVID-19 and spend more money to control the more deadly pandemic of TB that has haunted us since pre-historic times.

In Pakistan, it seems we have relied too much for too long solely on a medical solution to the social problem of TB, which requires a human rights-based TB response, supported, of course, by good clinical practices. We must bring about a paradigm shift to focus more on the people affected by TB and not just their medical problems. TB is a disease of poverty that is known to perpetuate poverty further. Just the way, the constitution of the WHO calls for attaining the highest standards of health for the entire world population, it is imperative to adopt a rights-based approach that is more gender-sensitive and leverages existing national laws including the right to health, non-discrimination, privacy & confidentiality, information and liberty. This will, in turn, transform the TB response to be more equitable and people-centred making it necessary to target those most at-risk for TB whether due to their social status, peripheral locations or occupational hazards.

More importantly, we have to eliminate the discrimination, which stems from the stigma attached to TB, which is known to be widespread and impinging on employment, education, housing, and even family relations. As pointed out by the President of Pakistan Dr Arif Alvi at the TB summit on the 18th January 2022, it is this very stigma and discrimination that leads to delayed diagnosis and treatment initiation. The President and First Lady are personally leading the fight against Tuberculosis and Breast Cancer, respectively by reducing the stigma attached to both conditions.

It is also widely known that while fewer women contract TB, they disproportionately bear the brunt of it in terms of personal relationships and diminished social status. Our health facilities may also be failing to provide the right to privacy & confidentiality in avoiding disclosures of personal health information. Although laws in Pakistan safeguard this right, our socio-cultural fabric tends to violate it. Then the right to liberty does not permit us to confine people with TB but rather treat them in domiciliary settings with the necessary precautions. Marginalized groups including the homeless, nomads, refugees, IDPs, migrants, minorities and people with mental health issues often require special attention for their specific needs.

In case Pakistan’s provincial TB programs can incorporate this missing link in their care protocols, we can accelerate the elimination of this disease much more rapidly and hopefully by the targeted date of 2030. It will entail a lot of empathy, adherence to laws, enhanced efforts for better diagnostics and treatment choices, with sharing of human suffering and pain, yet it is a goal we simply have to achieve!

The writer is a senior public health specialist and Editor in Chief of Public Health Action.

Staging area for priority piloted convoy procession along the BC Highway 4 detour route. BC Highway 4 remains closed. Detour route is prioritizing commercial vehicle traffic at each side of the detour throughout the day. For more info check DriveBC.ca

Staging area for priority piloted convoy procession along the BC Highway 4 detour route. BC Highway 4 remains closed. Detour route is prioritizing commercial vehicle traffic at each side of the detour throughout the day. For more info check DriveBC.ca

Few of the things that we do in Ubud, Bali when we went there last year. It's a long overdue post, but sometimes you have to prioritize things in life. Right?

de-lightphotography.blogspot.com/2014/03/what-to-do-in-ub...

s/n 0585GT

240 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors, four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm

• Very first of the second series 14-louver design

• One of nine examples built

• Featured in the Hollywood Classic, The Love Bug

• Matching numbers, extensively documented, and complete with full Ferrari Classiche certification

• Received a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering

• Single ownership for 14 years and offered for the first time ever at auction

• Pristine example of Ferrari’s most revered berlinetta

The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed the lives of one driver and 79 spectators had a profound effect on the shape of racing, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. Racing enthusiasts and competitors alike agreed that the crash was ultimately the result of the increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars, and in order to prevent further disaster, new regulations would be required to veer from the path of these thinly veiled race cars, which were essentially grand prix cars packaged with two-seater bodies.

The following year, the FIA responded by creating new gran turismo classes that not only prioritized safety, but also re-established the concept of competitively racing a road-based production car. Ferrari, of course, was well prepared for the challenge, having just debuted its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA’s new racing classifications. Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model’s four-year production run.

Ferrari’s hopes for competitive success were quickly realized when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car, chassis number 0503 GT, to a First in Class and Fourth Overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with a Fifth Overall (First in Class) at the Mille Miglia later that month. But the model’s defining success didn’t occur until September, during the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 3,600 mile, week-long contest that combined six circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove chassis number 0557 GT to a dominating victory that sealed the dynamic model’s reputation. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France. The moniker proved to be quite fitting, as Gendebien took First Overall at the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia, a triumph that witnessed the defeat of many more purpose-built sports racers.

With the introduction of a short-wheelbase 250 GT in late-1959, the outgoing platform became retrospectively labeled as the long-wheelbase version, though the original car’s designation of 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is now largely simplified with the name ‘Tour de France.’ Through its brief production run, the TdF underwent several external body modifications, ultimately resulting in four different series-produced body styles (not including a handful of Zagato-bodied cars). The alterations in appearance are most easily recognizable in the so-called sail panels, the rear ¾-panels of the c-pillar that adjoin the roof. Initially produced with no louvers at all, these panels featured 14 louvers in the second-series cars, followed by a series with just three louvers, and ending with a series that featured just one sail-panel louver. Of all of these series, the 14-louver cars are the rarest, with only nine examples produced, and are judged by many enthusiasts to be the handsomest of the group.

This fabulous, early Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels. On November 15, 1956, the stunning TdF was purchased by Tony Parravano, the Italian national and Southern California building construction magnate who is better known among 1950s racing enthusiasts for the numerous Italian sports cars that he campaigned in the area’s SCCA circuit. 0585 GT was entered for the Palm Springs road races in early April of 1957, before being disqualified because the sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. Changing hands among a couple of Los Angeles-based owners during the early-1960s, 0585 GT eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about “Herbie,” the racing VW Beetle with a soul.

Following its memorable Hollywood turn, this important 250 GT fell on hard times, passing through the Schaub family, of Los Angeles, before reportedly being abandoned on the side of the Hollywood freeway. Records indicate two more owners during the 1970s and 1980s. In September 1994, the car surfaced and was offered for sale in an unrestored state by David Cottingham’s DK Engineering in Watford, England. Unable to sell 0585 GT for its true value, DK, in late-1996, elected to totally restore the historically significant Tour de France, a freshening that debuted to overwhelming acclaim at Coy’s International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1997. The festival proved to be a perfect stage for the immaculate car, as it was sold the following October to its current owner, a well-respected Southern California-based collector who has a 40-year history of collecting and caring for some of the most recognizable and important Ferrari cars ever built.

Registered under license plate “MY 56 TDF,” 0585 GT was soon campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Tour Auto of April 1998, as well as the Mille Miglia of the following May. The car also participated in the Tour Auto in 1999 and 2000, and placed 39th Overall at the 2000 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans. 0585 GT returned to the Tour Auto in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006 and was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motion, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The following August, 0585 GT’s extreme quality and rarity were confirmed with the ultimate in exhibitive recognition, a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, where the car won “The Great Ferraris” class, honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars.

In addition to all of these awards and racing achievements, 0585 GT has also gone under the scrutiny of the Ferrari factory’s certification program and easily received the full “Red Book” certification through Newport Beach Ferrari specialist, John Amette. For the certification process, the original gearbox was put in the car; however, the current owner has since removed it and put a more user-friendly synchromesh gearbox in the car for much better drivability purposes. It must be noted that the original unit will be supplied with the sale of this car. A full set of original tools and a jack will also be included, as well as a booklet of documentation and various trophies and awards that the car has received over the years. In preparation for the sale, 0585 GT has also just been completely detailed and sorted at well-respected Junior’s House of Color in Long Beach, California, so it will look stunning in presentation.

On a recent track drive in preparation for RM’s video and photography efforts, the car performed flawlessly, handling directly and powering through all of the gears with ease. As the RM specialist describes, “The four-wheel drum brakes and skinny tyres can sometimes provide a different driving experience for those familiar with later cars fitted with disk brakes and wider stances; however, it allows the pilot to become much more intimate with the driving experience and to engage the engine in a much different way, creating a completely different awareness of timing and speed…The most beautiful thing about these early TDs is what most Ferraristi will attest to, and that is the sound of the exhaust note when the car breaches 3500 rpm. As you power out of the corners, there is that point when the car just feels and sounds right! All the noises, the vibrations, and the elements of speed come together to create a symphonic harmony that is unlike anything else. Moreover, the sound is not too overpowering and is pleasurable for extended periods of time, which cannot be said for many other race-bred cars. It is the ultimate dual-purpose Ferrari!”

Impeccably cared for and stunningly restored, 0585 GT is a beautiful and rare example of the second series 14-louver Tour de France, one of Ferrari’s greatest sports cars of all time. This car’s next owner can look forward to continued warm receptions at the world’s finest automotive events, including rallies such as the Tour Auto and Mille Miglia, and premium exhibitive venues, such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. It is a truly unique representative of one of Ferrari’s most revered models, and in many ways, it is the ultimate symbol of Ferrari’s long pursuit of dual-purpose sports cars that can be seriously campaigned as easily as they can be road driven. Given their extremely low production numbers and desirability, these cars rarely come to the market. The availability of 0585 GT after 14-years of single ownership offers an unbeatable chance to acquire one of the most storied machines to emerge from Maranello’s legendary motoring lore.

[Text from RM Auctions]

www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052658

This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (1956 - Scaglietti), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.

This particular vehicle was auctioned by the RM Auction house on Saturday, August 18, 2012, where it sold for $6,710,000.

s/n 0585GT

240 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors, four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm

• Very first of the second series 14-louver design

• One of nine examples built

• Featured in the Hollywood Classic, The Love Bug

• Matching numbers, extensively documented, and complete with full Ferrari Classiche certification

• Received a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering

• Single ownership for 14 years and offered for the first time ever at auction

• Pristine example of Ferrari’s most revered berlinetta

The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed the lives of one driver and 79 spectators had a profound effect on the shape of racing, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. Racing enthusiasts and competitors alike agreed that the crash was ultimately the result of the increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars, and in order to prevent further disaster, new regulations would be required to veer from the path of these thinly veiled race cars, which were essentially grand prix cars packaged with two-seater bodies.

The following year, the FIA responded by creating new gran turismo classes that not only prioritized safety, but also re-established the concept of competitively racing a road-based production car. Ferrari, of course, was well prepared for the challenge, having just debuted its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA’s new racing classifications. Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model’s four-year production run.

Ferrari’s hopes for competitive success were quickly realized when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car, chassis number 0503 GT, to a First in Class and Fourth Overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with a Fifth Overall (First in Class) at the Mille Miglia later that month. But the model’s defining success didn’t occur until September, during the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 3,600 mile, week-long contest that combined six circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove chassis number 0557 GT to a dominating victory that sealed the dynamic model’s reputation. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France. The moniker proved to be quite fitting, as Gendebien took First Overall at the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia, a triumph that witnessed the defeat of many more purpose-built sports racers.

With the introduction of a short-wheelbase 250 GT in late-1959, the outgoing platform became retrospectively labeled as the long-wheelbase version, though the original car’s designation of 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is now largely simplified with the name ‘Tour de France.’ Through its brief production run, the TdF underwent several external body modifications, ultimately resulting in four different series-produced body styles (not including a handful of Zagato-bodied cars). The alterations in appearance are most easily recognizable in the so-called sail panels, the rear ¾-panels of the c-pillar that adjoin the roof. Initially produced with no louvers at all, these panels featured 14 louvers in the second-series cars, followed by a series with just three louvers, and ending with a series that featured just one sail-panel louver. Of all of these series, the 14-louver cars are the rarest, with only nine examples produced, and are judged by many enthusiasts to be the handsomest of the group.

This fabulous, early Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels. On November 15, 1956, the stunning TdF was purchased by Tony Parravano, the Italian national and Southern California building construction magnate who is better known among 1950s racing enthusiasts for the numerous Italian sports cars that he campaigned in the area’s SCCA circuit. 0585 GT was entered for the Palm Springs road races in early April of 1957, before being disqualified because the sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. Changing hands among a couple of Los Angeles-based owners during the early-1960s, 0585 GT eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about “Herbie,” the racing VW Beetle with a soul.

Following its memorable Hollywood turn, this important 250 GT fell on hard times, passing through the Schaub family, of Los Angeles, before reportedly being abandoned on the side of the Hollywood freeway. Records indicate two more owners during the 1970s and 1980s. In September 1994, the car surfaced and was offered for sale in an unrestored state by David Cottingham’s DK Engineering in Watford, England. Unable to sell 0585 GT for its true value, DK, in late-1996, elected to totally restore the historically significant Tour de France, a freshening that debuted to overwhelming acclaim at Coy’s International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1997. The festival proved to be a perfect stage for the immaculate car, as it was sold the following October to its current owner, a well-respected Southern California-based collector who has a 40-year history of collecting and caring for some of the most recognizable and important Ferrari cars ever built.

Registered under license plate “MY 56 TDF,” 0585 GT was soon campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Tour Auto of April 1998, as well as the Mille Miglia of the following May. The car also participated in the Tour Auto in 1999 and 2000, and placed 39th Overall at the 2000 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans. 0585 GT returned to the Tour Auto in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006 and was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motion, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The following August, 0585 GT’s extreme quality and rarity were confirmed with the ultimate in exhibitive recognition, a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, where the car won “The Great Ferraris” class, honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars.

In addition to all of these awards and racing achievements, 0585 GT has also gone under the scrutiny of the Ferrari factory’s certification program and easily received the full “Red Book” certification through Newport Beach Ferrari specialist, John Amette. For the certification process, the original gearbox was put in the car; however, the current owner has since removed it and put a more user-friendly synchromesh gearbox in the car for much better drivability purposes. It must be noted that the original unit will be supplied with the sale of this car. A full set of original tools and a jack will also be included, as well as a booklet of documentation and various trophies and awards that the car has received over the years. In preparation for the sale, 0585 GT has also just been completely detailed and sorted at well-respected Junior’s House of Color in Long Beach, California, so it will look stunning in presentation.

On a recent track drive in preparation for RM’s video and photography efforts, the car performed flawlessly, handling directly and powering through all of the gears with ease. As the RM specialist describes, “The four-wheel drum brakes and skinny tyres can sometimes provide a different driving experience for those familiar with later cars fitted with disk brakes and wider stances; however, it allows the pilot to become much more intimate with the driving experience and to engage the engine in a much different way, creating a completely different awareness of timing and speed…The most beautiful thing about these early TDs is what most Ferraristi will attest to, and that is the sound of the exhaust note when the car breaches 3500 rpm. As you power out of the corners, there is that point when the car just feels and sounds right! All the noises, the vibrations, and the elements of speed come together to create a symphonic harmony that is unlike anything else. Moreover, the sound is not too overpowering and is pleasurable for extended periods of time, which cannot be said for many other race-bred cars. It is the ultimate dual-purpose Ferrari!”

Impeccably cared for and stunningly restored, 0585 GT is a beautiful and rare example of the second series 14-louver Tour de France, one of Ferrari’s greatest sports cars of all time. This car’s next owner can look forward to continued warm receptions at the world’s finest automotive events, including rallies such as the Tour Auto and Mille Miglia, and premium exhibitive venues, such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. It is a truly unique representative of one of Ferrari’s most revered models, and in many ways, it is the ultimate symbol of Ferrari’s long pursuit of dual-purpose sports cars that can be seriously campaigned as easily as they can be road driven. Given their extremely low production numbers and desirability, these cars rarely come to the market. The availability of 0585 GT after 14-years of single ownership offers an unbeatable chance to acquire one of the most storied machines to emerge from Maranello’s legendary motoring lore.

[Text from RM Auctions]

www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052658

This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (1956 - Scaglietti), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.

This particular vehicle was auctioned by the RM Auction house on Saturday, August 18, 2012, where it sold for $6,710,000.

s/n 0585GT

240 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors, four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm

• Very first of the second series 14-louver design

• One of nine examples built

• Featured in the Hollywood Classic, The Love Bug

• Matching numbers, extensively documented, and complete with full Ferrari Classiche certification

• Received a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering

• Single ownership for 14 years and offered for the first time ever at auction

• Pristine example of Ferrari’s most revered berlinetta

The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed the lives of one driver and 79 spectators had a profound effect on the shape of racing, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. Racing enthusiasts and competitors alike agreed that the crash was ultimately the result of the increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars, and in order to prevent further disaster, new regulations would be required to veer from the path of these thinly veiled race cars, which were essentially grand prix cars packaged with two-seater bodies.

The following year, the FIA responded by creating new gran turismo classes that not only prioritized safety, but also re-established the concept of competitively racing a road-based production car. Ferrari, of course, was well prepared for the challenge, having just debuted its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA’s new racing classifications. Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model’s four-year production run.

Ferrari’s hopes for competitive success were quickly realized when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car, chassis number 0503 GT, to a First in Class and Fourth Overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with a Fifth Overall (First in Class) at the Mille Miglia later that month. But the model’s defining success didn’t occur until September, during the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 3,600 mile, week-long contest that combined six circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove chassis number 0557 GT to a dominating victory that sealed the dynamic model’s reputation. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France. The moniker proved to be quite fitting, as Gendebien took First Overall at the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia, a triumph that witnessed the defeat of many more purpose-built sports racers.

With the introduction of a short-wheelbase 250 GT in late-1959, the outgoing platform became retrospectively labeled as the long-wheelbase version, though the original car’s designation of 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is now largely simplified with the name ‘Tour de France.’ Through its brief production run, the TdF underwent several external body modifications, ultimately resulting in four different series-produced body styles (not including a handful of Zagato-bodied cars). The alterations in appearance are most easily recognizable in the so-called sail panels, the rear ¾-panels of the c-pillar that adjoin the roof. Initially produced with no louvers at all, these panels featured 14 louvers in the second-series cars, followed by a series with just three louvers, and ending with a series that featured just one sail-panel louver. Of all of these series, the 14-louver cars are the rarest, with only nine examples produced, and are judged by many enthusiasts to be the handsomest of the group.

This fabulous, early Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels. On November 15, 1956, the stunning TdF was purchased by Tony Parravano, the Italian national and Southern California building construction magnate who is better known among 1950s racing enthusiasts for the numerous Italian sports cars that he campaigned in the area’s SCCA circuit. 0585 GT was entered for the Palm Springs road races in early April of 1957, before being disqualified because the sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. Changing hands among a couple of Los Angeles-based owners during the early-1960s, 0585 GT eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about “Herbie,” the racing VW Beetle with a soul.

Following its memorable Hollywood turn, this important 250 GT fell on hard times, passing through the Schaub family, of Los Angeles, before reportedly being abandoned on the side of the Hollywood freeway. Records indicate two more owners during the 1970s and 1980s. In September 1994, the car surfaced and was offered for sale in an unrestored state by David Cottingham’s DK Engineering in Watford, England. Unable to sell 0585 GT for its true value, DK, in late-1996, elected to totally restore the historically significant Tour de France, a freshening that debuted to overwhelming acclaim at Coy’s International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1997. The festival proved to be a perfect stage for the immaculate car, as it was sold the following October to its current owner, a well-respected Southern California-based collector who has a 40-year history of collecting and caring for some of the most recognizable and important Ferrari cars ever built.

Registered under license plate “MY 56 TDF,” 0585 GT was soon campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Tour Auto of April 1998, as well as the Mille Miglia of the following May. The car also participated in the Tour Auto in 1999 and 2000, and placed 39th Overall at the 2000 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans. 0585 GT returned to the Tour Auto in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006 and was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motion, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The following August, 0585 GT’s extreme quality and rarity were confirmed with the ultimate in exhibitive recognition, a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, where the car won “The Great Ferraris” class, honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars.

In addition to all of these awards and racing achievements, 0585 GT has also gone under the scrutiny of the Ferrari factory’s certification program and easily received the full “Red Book” certification through Newport Beach Ferrari specialist, John Amette. For the certification process, the original gearbox was put in the car; however, the current owner has since removed it and put a more user-friendly synchromesh gearbox in the car for much better drivability purposes. It must be noted that the original unit will be supplied with the sale of this car. A full set of original tools and a jack will also be included, as well as a booklet of documentation and various trophies and awards that the car has received over the years. In preparation for the sale, 0585 GT has also just been completely detailed and sorted at well-respected Junior’s House of Color in Long Beach, California, so it will look stunning in presentation.

On a recent track drive in preparation for RM’s video and photography efforts, the car performed flawlessly, handling directly and powering through all of the gears with ease. As the RM specialist describes, “The four-wheel drum brakes and skinny tyres can sometimes provide a different driving experience for those familiar with later cars fitted with disk brakes and wider stances; however, it allows the pilot to become much more intimate with the driving experience and to engage the engine in a much different way, creating a completely different awareness of timing and speed…The most beautiful thing about these early TDs is what most Ferraristi will attest to, and that is the sound of the exhaust note when the car breaches 3500 rpm. As you power out of the corners, there is that point when the car just feels and sounds right! All the noises, the vibrations, and the elements of speed come together to create a symphonic harmony that is unlike anything else. Moreover, the sound is not too overpowering and is pleasurable for extended periods of time, which cannot be said for many other race-bred cars. It is the ultimate dual-purpose Ferrari!”

Impeccably cared for and stunningly restored, 0585 GT is a beautiful and rare example of the second series 14-louver Tour de France, one of Ferrari’s greatest sports cars of all time. This car’s next owner can look forward to continued warm receptions at the world’s finest automotive events, including rallies such as the Tour Auto and Mille Miglia, and premium exhibitive venues, such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. It is a truly unique representative of one of Ferrari’s most revered models, and in many ways, it is the ultimate symbol of Ferrari’s long pursuit of dual-purpose sports cars that can be seriously campaigned as easily as they can be road driven. Given their extremely low production numbers and desirability, these cars rarely come to the market. The availability of 0585 GT after 14-years of single ownership offers an unbeatable chance to acquire one of the most storied machines to emerge from Maranello’s legendary motoring lore.

[Text from RM Auctions]

www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052658

This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (1956 - Scaglietti), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.

This particular vehicle was auctioned by the RM Auction house on Saturday, August 18, 2012, where it sold for $6,710,000.

s/n 0585GT

240 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors, four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm

• Very first of the second series 14-louver design

• One of nine examples built

• Featured in the Hollywood Classic, The Love Bug

• Matching numbers, extensively documented, and complete with full Ferrari Classiche certification

• Received a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering

• Single ownership for 14 years and offered for the first time ever at auction

• Pristine example of Ferrari’s most revered berlinetta

The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed the lives of one driver and 79 spectators had a profound effect on the shape of racing, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. Racing enthusiasts and competitors alike agreed that the crash was ultimately the result of the increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars, and in order to prevent further disaster, new regulations would be required to veer from the path of these thinly veiled race cars, which were essentially grand prix cars packaged with two-seater bodies.

The following year, the FIA responded by creating new gran turismo classes that not only prioritized safety, but also re-established the concept of competitively racing a road-based production car. Ferrari, of course, was well prepared for the challenge, having just debuted its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA’s new racing classifications. Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model’s four-year production run.

Ferrari’s hopes for competitive success were quickly realized when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car, chassis number 0503 GT, to a First in Class and Fourth Overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with a Fifth Overall (First in Class) at the Mille Miglia later that month. But the model’s defining success didn’t occur until September, during the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 3,600 mile, week-long contest that combined six circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove chassis number 0557 GT to a dominating victory that sealed the dynamic model’s reputation. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France. The moniker proved to be quite fitting, as Gendebien took First Overall at the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia, a triumph that witnessed the defeat of many more purpose-built sports racers.

With the introduction of a short-wheelbase 250 GT in late-1959, the outgoing platform became retrospectively labeled as the long-wheelbase version, though the original car’s designation of 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is now largely simplified with the name ‘Tour de France.’ Through its brief production run, the TdF underwent several external body modifications, ultimately resulting in four different series-produced body styles (not including a handful of Zagato-bodied cars). The alterations in appearance are most easily recognizable in the so-called sail panels, the rear ¾-panels of the c-pillar that adjoin the roof. Initially produced with no louvers at all, these panels featured 14 louvers in the second-series cars, followed by a series with just three louvers, and ending with a series that featured just one sail-panel louver. Of all of these series, the 14-louver cars are the rarest, with only nine examples produced, and are judged by many enthusiasts to be the handsomest of the group.

This fabulous, early Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels. On November 15, 1956, the stunning TdF was purchased by Tony Parravano, the Italian national and Southern California building construction magnate who is better known among 1950s racing enthusiasts for the numerous Italian sports cars that he campaigned in the area’s SCCA circuit. 0585 GT was entered for the Palm Springs road races in early April of 1957, before being disqualified because the sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. Changing hands among a couple of Los Angeles-based owners during the early-1960s, 0585 GT eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about “Herbie,” the racing VW Beetle with a soul.

Following its memorable Hollywood turn, this important 250 GT fell on hard times, passing through the Schaub family, of Los Angeles, before reportedly being abandoned on the side of the Hollywood freeway. Records indicate two more owners during the 1970s and 1980s. In September 1994, the car surfaced and was offered for sale in an unrestored state by David Cottingham’s DK Engineering in Watford, England. Unable to sell 0585 GT for its true value, DK, in late-1996, elected to totally restore the historically significant Tour de France, a freshening that debuted to overwhelming acclaim at Coy’s International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1997. The festival proved to be a perfect stage for the immaculate car, as it was sold the following October to its current owner, a well-respected Southern California-based collector who has a 40-year history of collecting and caring for some of the most recognizable and important Ferrari cars ever built.

Registered under license plate “MY 56 TDF,” 0585 GT was soon campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Tour Auto of April 1998, as well as the Mille Miglia of the following May. The car also participated in the Tour Auto in 1999 and 2000, and placed 39th Overall at the 2000 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans. 0585 GT returned to the Tour Auto in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006 and was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motion, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The following August, 0585 GT’s extreme quality and rarity were confirmed with the ultimate in exhibitive recognition, a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, where the car won “The Great Ferraris” class, honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars.

In addition to all of these awards and racing achievements, 0585 GT has also gone under the scrutiny of the Ferrari factory’s certification program and easily received the full “Red Book” certification through Newport Beach Ferrari specialist, John Amette. For the certification process, the original gearbox was put in the car; however, the current owner has since removed it and put a more user-friendly synchromesh gearbox in the car for much better drivability purposes. It must be noted that the original unit will be supplied with the sale of this car. A full set of original tools and a jack will also be included, as well as a booklet of documentation and various trophies and awards that the car has received over the years. In preparation for the sale, 0585 GT has also just been completely detailed and sorted at well-respected Junior’s House of Color in Long Beach, California, so it will look stunning in presentation.

On a recent track drive in preparation for RM’s video and photography efforts, the car performed flawlessly, handling directly and powering through all of the gears with ease. As the RM specialist describes, “The four-wheel drum brakes and skinny tyres can sometimes provide a different driving experience for those familiar with later cars fitted with disk brakes and wider stances; however, it allows the pilot to become much more intimate with the driving experience and to engage the engine in a much different way, creating a completely different awareness of timing and speed…The most beautiful thing about these early TDs is what most Ferraristi will attest to, and that is the sound of the exhaust note when the car breaches 3500 rpm. As you power out of the corners, there is that point when the car just feels and sounds right! All the noises, the vibrations, and the elements of speed come together to create a symphonic harmony that is unlike anything else. Moreover, the sound is not too overpowering and is pleasurable for extended periods of time, which cannot be said for many other race-bred cars. It is the ultimate dual-purpose Ferrari!”

Impeccably cared for and stunningly restored, 0585 GT is a beautiful and rare example of the second series 14-louver Tour de France, one of Ferrari’s greatest sports cars of all time. This car’s next owner can look forward to continued warm receptions at the world’s finest automotive events, including rallies such as the Tour Auto and Mille Miglia, and premium exhibitive venues, such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. It is a truly unique representative of one of Ferrari’s most revered models, and in many ways, it is the ultimate symbol of Ferrari’s long pursuit of dual-purpose sports cars that can be seriously campaigned as easily as they can be road driven. Given their extremely low production numbers and desirability, these cars rarely come to the market. The availability of 0585 GT after 14-years of single ownership offers an unbeatable chance to acquire one of the most storied machines to emerge from Maranello’s legendary motoring lore.

[Text from RM Auctions]

www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052658

This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (1956 - Scaglietti), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.

This particular vehicle was auctioned by the RM Auction house on Saturday, August 18, 2012, where it sold for $6,710,000.

21 September 2017, New York - In a high-level event organized by UN Women in the context of the 72nd session of the UN General Assembly, Melinda Gates, Co-Chair and Trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Jack Ma, Executive Chair of the Alibaba Group; and Nirvana Chaudhary, President of the Chaudhary Group and Chair of the Foundation, joined Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women for a strategic conversation on how collective action can scale-up opportunities for women and girls.

Today’s dialogue among a select group of business and foundation leaders focused on the transformative role that companies and foundations can play to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 5 on gender equality. It highlighted new initiatives, such as the Unstereotype Alliance convened by UN Women with major advertisers and communications industry leaders to promote a more realistic and aspirational portrayal of women; the “Making Every Woman and Girl Count” initiative to generate, prioritize and use gender data for evidence-based and targeted policies; and the Global Innovation Coalition for Change aiming to make innovation work for women’s empowerment.

Read More: www.unwomen.org/en/news/stories/2017/9/press-release-busi...

Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

s/n 0585GT

240 bhp, 2,953 cc single overhead camshaft V-12 engine with three Weber carburetors, four-speed all-synchromesh manual gearbox, independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs and parallel trailing arms, and four-wheel drum brakes. Wheelbase: 2,600 mm

• Very first of the second series 14-louver design

• One of nine examples built

• Featured in the Hollywood Classic, The Love Bug

• Matching numbers, extensively documented, and complete with full Ferrari Classiche certification

• Received a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering

• Single ownership for 14 years and offered for the first time ever at auction

• Pristine example of Ferrari’s most revered berlinetta

The tragic accident at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that claimed the lives of one driver and 79 spectators had a profound effect on the shape of racing, one that ultimately led to the creation of one of Ferrari’s most celebrated models. Racing enthusiasts and competitors alike agreed that the crash was ultimately the result of the increasingly potent powertrains of the Le Mans sports cars, and in order to prevent further disaster, new regulations would be required to veer from the path of these thinly veiled race cars, which were essentially grand prix cars packaged with two-seater bodies.

The following year, the FIA responded by creating new gran turismo classes that not only prioritized safety, but also re-established the concept of competitively racing a road-based production car. Ferrari, of course, was well prepared for the challenge, having just debuted its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA’s new racing classifications. Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model’s four-year production run.

Ferrari’s hopes for competitive success were quickly realized when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car, chassis number 0503 GT, to a First in Class and Fourth Overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with a Fifth Overall (First in Class) at the Mille Miglia later that month. But the model’s defining success didn’t occur until September, during the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a grueling 3,600 mile, week-long contest that combined six circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. The Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove chassis number 0557 GT to a dominating victory that sealed the dynamic model’s reputation. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France. The moniker proved to be quite fitting, as Gendebien took First Overall at the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia, a triumph that witnessed the defeat of many more purpose-built sports racers.

With the introduction of a short-wheelbase 250 GT in late-1959, the outgoing platform became retrospectively labeled as the long-wheelbase version, though the original car’s designation of 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is now largely simplified with the name ‘Tour de France.’ Through its brief production run, the TdF underwent several external body modifications, ultimately resulting in four different series-produced body styles (not including a handful of Zagato-bodied cars). The alterations in appearance are most easily recognizable in the so-called sail panels, the rear ¾-panels of the c-pillar that adjoin the roof. Initially produced with no louvers at all, these panels featured 14 louvers in the second-series cars, followed by a series with just three louvers, and ending with a series that featured just one sail-panel louver. Of all of these series, the 14-louver cars are the rarest, with only nine examples produced, and are judged by many enthusiasts to be the handsomest of the group.

This fabulous, early Ferrari 250 GT Tour de France is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels. On November 15, 1956, the stunning TdF was purchased by Tony Parravano, the Italian national and Southern California building construction magnate who is better known among 1950s racing enthusiasts for the numerous Italian sports cars that he campaigned in the area’s SCCA circuit. 0585 GT was entered for the Palm Springs road races in early April of 1957, before being disqualified because the sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. Changing hands among a couple of Los Angeles-based owners during the early-1960s, 0585 GT eventually came into the possession of Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about “Herbie,” the racing VW Beetle with a soul.

Following its memorable Hollywood turn, this important 250 GT fell on hard times, passing through the Schaub family, of Los Angeles, before reportedly being abandoned on the side of the Hollywood freeway. Records indicate two more owners during the 1970s and 1980s. In September 1994, the car surfaced and was offered for sale in an unrestored state by David Cottingham’s DK Engineering in Watford, England. Unable to sell 0585 GT for its true value, DK, in late-1996, elected to totally restore the historically significant Tour de France, a freshening that debuted to overwhelming acclaim at Coy’s International Historic Festival at Silverstone in July 1997. The festival proved to be a perfect stage for the immaculate car, as it was sold the following October to its current owner, a well-respected Southern California-based collector who has a 40-year history of collecting and caring for some of the most recognizable and important Ferrari cars ever built.

Registered under license plate “MY 56 TDF,” 0585 GT was soon campaigned in a number of vintage rallies, including the Tour Auto of April 1998, as well as the Mille Miglia of the following May. The car also participated in the Tour Auto in 1999 and 2000, and placed 39th Overall at the 2000 Shell Ferrari/Maserati Historic Challenge at Le Mans. 0585 GT returned to the Tour Auto in 2001, 2002, 2004, and 2006 and was displayed at Car Classic: Freedom of Motion, the 2010 exhibition held at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. The following August, 0585 GT’s extreme quality and rarity were confirmed with the ultimate in exhibitive recognition, a class award at the 2011 Quail Motorsports Gathering in Carmel, California, where the car won “The Great Ferraris” class, honoring some of the marque’s earliest and important sports and racing cars.

In addition to all of these awards and racing achievements, 0585 GT has also gone under the scrutiny of the Ferrari factory’s certification program and easily received the full “Red Book” certification through Newport Beach Ferrari specialist, John Amette. For the certification process, the original gearbox was put in the car; however, the current owner has since removed it and put a more user-friendly synchromesh gearbox in the car for much better drivability purposes. It must be noted that the original unit will be supplied with the sale of this car. A full set of original tools and a jack will also be included, as well as a booklet of documentation and various trophies and awards that the car has received over the years. In preparation for the sale, 0585 GT has also just been completely detailed and sorted at well-respected Junior’s House of Color in Long Beach, California, so it will look stunning in presentation.

On a recent track drive in preparation for RM’s video and photography efforts, the car performed flawlessly, handling directly and powering through all of the gears with ease. As the RM specialist describes, “The four-wheel drum brakes and skinny tyres can sometimes provide a different driving experience for those familiar with later cars fitted with disk brakes and wider stances; however, it allows the pilot to become much more intimate with the driving experience and to engage the engine in a much different way, creating a completely different awareness of timing and speed…The most beautiful thing about these early TDs is what most Ferraristi will attest to, and that is the sound of the exhaust note when the car breaches 3500 rpm. As you power out of the corners, there is that point when the car just feels and sounds right! All the noises, the vibrations, and the elements of speed come together to create a symphonic harmony that is unlike anything else. Moreover, the sound is not too overpowering and is pleasurable for extended periods of time, which cannot be said for many other race-bred cars. It is the ultimate dual-purpose Ferrari!”

Impeccably cared for and stunningly restored, 0585 GT is a beautiful and rare example of the second series 14-louver Tour de France, one of Ferrari’s greatest sports cars of all time. This car’s next owner can look forward to continued warm receptions at the world’s finest automotive events, including rallies such as the Tour Auto and Mille Miglia, and premium exhibitive venues, such as Pebble Beach, Amelia Island, and the Palm Beach Cavallino Classic. It is a truly unique representative of one of Ferrari’s most revered models, and in many ways, it is the ultimate symbol of Ferrari’s long pursuit of dual-purpose sports cars that can be seriously campaigned as easily as they can be road driven. Given their extremely low production numbers and desirability, these cars rarely come to the market. The availability of 0585 GT after 14-years of single ownership offers an unbeatable chance to acquire one of the most storied machines to emerge from Maranello’s legendary motoring lore.

[Text from RM Auctions]

www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1052658

This Lego miniland-scale Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta 'Tour de France' (1956 - Scaglietti), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 89th Build Challenge, - "Over a Million, Under a Thousand", - a challenge to build vehicles valued over one million (US) dollars, or under one thousand (US) dollars.

This particular vehicle was auctioned by the RM Auction house on Saturday, August 18, 2012, where it sold for $6,710,000.