Downtown drug problems

During the middle of the Vietnam War, the USAF faced a number of procurement problems. Losses to the F-105 Thunderchief community were mounting to the point that it was thought the aircraft might become “extinct,” while the F-111 Aardvark, which was to replace the F-105, was having numerous teething troubles. Another problem was that the Sandy escort units for rescue helicopters were forced to use Korean War-era ex-US Navy A-1 Skyraiders, which, while good aircraft, were not getting any younger. The USAF needed an aircraft that could replace the A-1 and supplement the F-105 until the F-111 finally reached maturity—and it needed the aircraft immediately, and at low cost. After reviewing a number of options, the USAF settled on the US Navy’s A-7A Corsair II. The Navy’s F-4B had been adapted to USAF standards, and it was felt that the A-7 could be as well. An A-7A was bailed back to LTV for conversion to the USAF-specific A-7D variant.

Though externally little different to the Navy A-7A, the A-7D was actually a significant upgrade. Since the reliability of the TF30 engine was a concern, the D model would use a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Spey turbofan; as the USAF did not use the 20mm cannon that the Navy preferred, these were deleted in favor of the more common M61 Vulcan 20mm gatling cannon. The refuelling probe was deleted in favor of the USAF-plug style refuelling receptacle. The first A-7D flew in September 1968. So successful was the A-7D in testing that the Navy would adopt a modified version as the A-7E.

Though at first reluctant to fly yet another Navy retread, especially one that was considered remarkably ugly—pilots quickly nicknamed the A-7 the SLUF (Short Little Ugly Fellow)—it soon gained a reputation for easy flying and, like its Navy “brother,” pinpoint bombing accuracy. In wing strength by 1970, it was soon deployed to Vietnam for combat operations, mainly to replace not just the A-1 but also the aging F-100 Super Sabre. USAF pilots found that the A-7 was not well suited to tropical operations: hot-and-high conditions meant that the A-7D took ten miles to generate enough power to climb above 500 feet, while a poor brake system caused it to be a real danger in landing on slick runways.

During Operation Linebacker, the A-7s went to North Vietnam, but only sparingly and usually in as Sandy escorts, which the Corsair II excelled at. They were far more effective in South Vietnam. Alongside Navy A-7Es, USAF A-7Ds brought the curtain down on the Vietnam War by participating in the Mayaguez rescue operation in May 1975, and were among the very last USAF aircraft to leave Southeast Asia. They had complied the best loss ratio of any combat aircraft during the war, with only six A-7Ds lost in over 12,000 missions.

With the post-Vietnam retirement of the A-1, F-100, and F-105, the A-7D was left as one of the few USAF attack aircraft, but the USAF planned to end procurement by 1975; postwar budget cuts led to additional Corsair II production to take up the slack. The F-111 had become a long-range strike aircraft, but for anticipated operations in Central Europe, the USAF preferred the development of the A-10 Thunderbolt II over A-7s. As a result, the USAF divested itself of most of its A-7s to the Air National Guard—somewhat to the chagrin of active-duty units, as ANG units began winning the coveted Gunsmoke bombing trophy with their A-7s. A minor upgrade mounting the Pave Penny laser designator to A-7Ds began in 1979.

The A-7D was well-liked by its ANG pilots, whose command became the sole domain of the Corsair II by 1983. One exception to this rule was the 4451st Test Squadron, based at Nellis AFB but operating from the small airbase at Tonopah, Nevada. No one quite knew what the 4451st was doing there, though rumors abounded; it was not until 1989 that it was revealed that the 4451’s A-7s were strictly for cover: its real equipment was the stealth F-117 Nighthawk.

With the A-10 in large numbers in theater, the USAF chose not to deploy ANG A-7s to the First Gulf War, though small numbers had seen action in Grenada and the 1989 invasion of Panama. At the end of Operation Desert Storm, with the Navy retiring their last two squadrons of A-7Es, the USAF decided to do the same, and the A-7D rapidly disappeared from active units in favor of the F-16, with the last leaving USAF service in 1993. A number were passed on to Greece, where it lasted until 2014 Of 1569 A-7s produced, just under half were USAF A-7Ds or two-seat A-7Ks, and today about 18 survive as museum aircraft.

One of the first batch of A-7Ds produced, 69-6230 started off with the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina and may have seen service in Vietnam. After the active-duty USAF began sending all its A-7s to the Air National Guard, this aircraft served with the 185th TFG (Iowa ANG) and 162nd TFG (Arizona ANG), its last unit. It was retired in 1993 and put on display at Buckley AFB, Colorado. Eventually it made its way to the Evergreen Air Museum in Oregon, where it was repainted in 355th TFW colors. It was and remains displayed outside, and the Southeast Asia camouflage is beginning to fade, especially as compared to the other aircraft in Evergreen's collection.

We decided to go for a city break rather than sun in Tenerife again this September. Other than a few days in the North East we haven’t been away since last March and wanted a change and hopefully some sun. The problem is getting flights from the north of England to the places we want to go to. We chose Valencia as we could fly from East Midlands – which was still a pain to get to as it involved the most notorious stretch of the M1 at five in the morning. In the end we had a fairly good journey, the new Ryanair business class pre-booked scheme worked quite well and bang on time as usual. It was dull when we landed with storms forecast all week, the sky was bright grey – the kiss of death to the photography I had in mind. I was full of cold and wishing I was at work. It did rain but it was overnight on our first night and didn’t affect us. There has been a drought for eleven months apparently and it rained on our first day there! The forecast storms didn’t materialise in Valencia but they got it elsewhere.

Over the course of a Monday to Sunday week we covered 75 miles on foot and saw most of the best of Valencia – The City of Bell Towers. The Old City covers a pretty large area in a very confusing layout. There was a lot of referring to maps – even compass readings! – a first in a city for us. The problem with photography in Valencia is that most of the famous and attractive building are closely built around, some have poor quality housing built on to them. Most photographs have to be taken from an extreme angle looking up. There are no high points as it is pan flat, there are a small number of buildings where you can pay to go up on to the roof for a better view and we went up them – more than once!

The modern buildings of The City of Arts and Sciences – ( Ciutat de Las Arts I de les Ciencies ) are what the city has more recently become famous for, with tourists arriving by the coachload all day until late at night. They must be photographed millions of times a month. We went during the day and stayed till dark one evening, I gave it my best shot but a first time visit is always a compromise between ambition and realism, time dictates that we have to move on to the next destination. I travelled with a full size tripod – another first – I forgot to take it with me to TCoAaS! so It was time to wind up the ISO, again! Needless to say I never used the tripod.

On a day when rain was forecast but it stayed fine, albeit a bit dull, we went to the Bioparc north west of the city, a zoo by another name. There are many claims made for this place, were you can appear to walk alongside some very large animals, including, elephants, lions, giraffe, rhino, gorillas and many types of monkey to name a few. It is laid out in different geographical regions and there is very little between you and the animals, in some cases there is nothing, you enter the enclosure through a double door arrangement and the monkeys are around you. It gets rave reviews and we stayed for most of the day. The animals it has to be said gave the appearance of extreme boredom and frustration and I felt quite sorry for them.

The course of The River Turia was altered after a major flood in the 50’s. The new river runs west of the city flanked by a motorway. The old river, which is massive, deep and very wide between ancient walls, I can’t imagine how it flooded, has been turned into a park that is five miles long. There is an athletics track, football pitches, cycle paths, restaurants, numerous kids parks, ponds, fountains, loads of bridges, historic and modern. At the western end closest to the sea sits The City of Arts and Sciences – in the river bed. Where it meets the sea there is Valencia’s urban Formula One racetrack finishing in the massive marina built for The Americas Cup. The race track is in use as roadways complete with fully removable street furniture, kerbs, bollards, lights, islands and crossings, everything is just sat on the surface ready to be moved.

We found the beach almost by accident, we were desperate for food after putting in a lot of miles and the afternoon was ticking by. What a beach, 100’s of metres wide and stretching as far as the eye could see with a massive promenade. The hard thing was choosing, out of the dozens of restaurants, all next door to each other, all serving traditional Paella – rabbit and chicken – as well as seafood, we don’t eat seafood and it constituted 90% of the menu in most places. Every restaurant does a fixed price dish of the day, with a few choices, three courses and a drink. Some times this was our only meal besides making the most of the continental breakfast at the hotel. We had a fair few bar stops with the local wine being cheap and pleasant it would have been a shame not to, there would have been a one woman riot – or strike!

On our final day, a Sunday, we were out of bed and down for breakfast at 7.45 as usual, the place was deserted barring a waiter. We walked out of the door at 8.30 – in to the middle of a mass road race with many thousands of runners, one of a series that take place in Valencia – apparently! We struggled to find out the distance, possibly 10km. The finish was just around the corner so off we went with the camera gear, taking photos of random runners and groups. There was a TV crew filming it and some local celebrity (I think) commentating. Next we came across some sort of wandering religious and musical event. Some sort of ritual was played out over the course of Sunday morning in various locations, it involved catholic priests and religious buildings and another film crew. The Catholic tourists and locals were filling the (many) churches for Sunday mass. Amongst all of this we had seen men walking around in Arab style dress – the ones in black looked like the ones from ISIS currently beheading people – all carrying guns. A bit disconcerting. We assumed that there had been some sort of battle enactment. We were wrong, it hadn’t happened yet. A while later, about 11.30 we could hear banging, fireworks? No it was our friends with the guns. We were caught up in total mayhem, around 60 men randomly firing muskets with some sort of blank rounds, the noise, smoke and flames from the muzzles were incredible. We were about to climb the Torres de Serranos which is where, unbeknown to us, the grand, and deafening, finale was going to be. We could feel the blast in our faces on top of the tower. Yet again there was a film camera in attendance. I couldn’t get close ups but I got a good overview and shot my first video with the 5D, my first in 5 years of owning a DLSR with the capability. I usually use my phone ( I used my phone as well). Later in the day there was a bullfight taking place, the ring was almost next to our hotel, in the end we had other things to do and gave it a miss, it was certainly a busy Sunday in the city centre, whether it’s the norm or not I don’t know.

There is a tram system in Valencia but it goes from the port area into the newer part of the city on the north side, it wouldn’t be feasible to serve the historic old city really. A quick internet search told me that there are 55,000 university students in the city, a pretty big number. I think a lot of the campus is on the north side and served by the tram although there is a massive fleet of buses as well. There is a massive, very impressive market building , with 100’s of stalls that would make a photo project on its own, beautiful on the inside and out but very difficult to get decent photos of the exterior other than detail shots owing to the closeness of other buildings and the sheer size of it. Across town, another market has been beautifully renovated and is full of bars and restaurants and a bit of a destination in its own right.

A downside was the all too typical shafting by the taxi drivers who use every trick in the book to side step the official tariffs and rob you. The taxi from the airport had a “broken” meter and on the way home we were driven 22 km instead of the nine that is the actual distance. Some of them seem to view tourists as cash cows to be robbed at all costs. I emailed the Marriot hotel as they ordered the taxi, needless to say no answer from Marriot – they’ve had their money. We didn’t get the rip off treatment in the bars etc. that we experienced in Rome, prices are very fair on most things, certainly considering the city location.

All in all we had a good trip and can highly recommend Valencia.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

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

Some background:

Even while the heavy T43 (M103) tank was still in development during the early Fifties, the U.S.A. was not done with attempts at making better heavy tanks. The primary concern were the Soviet heavy tanks that were expected to roll over Western Germany in the case of a Cold War escalation. Development was split into two schools of thought: One based its work on the T43, leading to the T57 and T58 auto loading tanks, while the other started from scratch, trying to mount a heavy weapon that could engage enemy tanks at long range in a more compact hull than the large and heavy T43.

A single T110E3, the first prototype, survived and is preserved at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, MI.

Specifications:

Crew: Five (commander, gunner, 2× loader, driver)

Weight: 50 tonnes

Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in) hull only

9.29 m (30 ft 5 in) overall

Width: 3.65 m (12 ft 0 in)

Height: 3,02 m (9 ft 11 in)

Suspension: Torsion-bar

Ground clearance: 15.2 in (387 mm)

Fuel capacity: 200 US gal (760 l; 170 imp gal)

Armor:

12.7 – 229 mm (0.5 – 9 in)

Performance:

Speed:

- Maximum, road: 30 mph (48 km/h)

- Sustained, road: 25 mph (40 km/h)

- Cross country: 9.3 to 15.5 mph (15 to 25 km/h)

Climbing capability:

- 40% side slope and 60% max grade

- Vertical obstacle of 36 inches (91 cm)

- 102 inches (2.59 m) trench crossing

Fording depth: Unprepared: 4 ft (1.219 m), prepared: 8 ft (2.438 m)

Operational range: 160 ml (258 km) on road

Power/weight: 17.5 hp/t

Engine:

1× Continental Motors, Inc. AV-1790-3 petrol V12 engine with fuel injection, delivering 875 hp,

plus a 1-cylinder auxiliary generator

Transmission:

General Motors CD-850-4A with 2 ranges forward, 1 reverse

Armament:

1× 120 mm T123E1 (M58) rifled anti-tank gun with 34 rounds

1× co-axial 7.62 mm M73 machine gun with 3.000 rounds

1× 12.7mm M2 Browning anti-aircraft machine gun on the commander’s cupola with 900 rounds

The kit and its assembly:

Yes, this is a whiffy tank, but the T110 project as such actually existed as an alternative to the M103. However, there never was any hardware beyond a wooden mock-up, and after many iterations (T110E5 was the last one!) the project was dropped in favor of classic designs with a fully rotating turret, and the availability of the British L7 cannon made the need for the American 120mm cannon obsolete.

I came across this obscure American tank project when I browsed the online shop of the German tank model/conversion kit manufacturer ModellTrans/Silesian Models, who offer a T110E3 resin conversion kit for an unspecified M48 chassis. I found the concept odd and the kit looked good, so I bought one, together with an ESCI M48A2 kit as chassis donor.

The rest was simple kitbashing. The M48 chassis was built OOB, just the upper hull replaced by the T110 resin parts, which also include the gun barrel and the mantlet, the commander’s cupola and several other small parts. Fit was/is surprisingly good! The T110 hull also went very smoothly onto the ESCI chassis: not plastic or resin had to be cut, just a 2mm gap at the lower rear had to be filled with a styrene strip, and only minor PSR had to be done on the front and the rear.

Some personal improvements include a scratched wall inside of the muzzle brake (made from a simple piece of 0.5 mm styrene sheet) and rails along the sidewalls, made from thin brass wire. Furthermore, some small parts from the ESCI M48 were transferred to the T110, including the barrel support, the housings for the stereoscopic rangefinder and a jerry can. Since this was supposed to become a prototype, I did not want to change too much.

Painting and markings:

The whole vehicle became Olive Drab, a conservative choice. I could not imagine that this outdated tank concept could have seriously entered service, so I decided to represent a prototype. But even if I had wanted a U.S. Army in-service vehicle, it would most probably have been painted all-over Olive Drab, anyway, since more complex paints schemes were only introduced in the late Seventies.

AFAIK there was no clearly defined standard for “Olive Drab” in practice, even though there was a contemporary Federal Standard tone, 24087 (very different from the later, much lighter FS tone with this code), also known as “OD ‘50”. In order to keep things simple, I chose Humbrol 66 (HM3), since it is supposed to represent the typical US Army tone. At first this looked rather dark and murky, but with some dry-brushing (with a mix of 66 and 111) after a washing with a mix of black and red brown, things started to look really good – esp. after the decals had been applied. The latter primarily came from the OOB ESCI sheet, complemented with the markings “TEST” and “T110E3”, created with single white 3mm letters from TL Modellbau and seen on contemporary American test vehicles in a similar fashion.

Further weathering was done through more dry-brushing with Humbrol 72 (Khaki Drill), then the model received a coat of matt acrylic varnish. Once the tracks (painted with a mix of acrylic black, brown and iron beforehand) had been mounted and finishing touches had been made, the lower areas were dusted with a reddish-brown mix of mineral pigments, reflecting the red-brownish washing all over the hull.

Not a very complex project, the most tedious aspect of this build was the M48 running gear. However, the latter went together well with little resistance, and the T110 hull from ModellTrans/Silesian Models was easy to integrate, too. I am actually very impressed by the good fit, the details and the molding quality of the resin parts. Even thin and delicate parts and areas like the mudguards have been crisply molded and they are not distinguishable from the IP counterparts from the ESCI kit! And I like the result: the T110E3 looks very retro, a design fallen out of time, and a worthy post-WWII what-if model.

from a novel I am currently reading, "The Housekeeper and the Professor" by Yoko Ogawa...

Page 2 of 5.

Miscellaneous notes on this:

- other possible notes to Apple:

I didn't pay enough for my iPad 2. Here are two more dollars to compensate.

We are learning that if each Apple goodie cost two dollars more, the conditions in Chinese plants would be right and proper. I mean this money to help and hope you will charge more from now on.

- can you think of a good note? please add your ideas in the Comments window, below.

July 2, 2012-

This page was published in the May edition of YES! Magazine- issue 62.

___

- George mentioned a problem with this idea that would limit the response: Americans are mad at China for taking our jobs and don't want to help them.

- fair enough, but our problem is with policy makers in China and American corporations. we're not out to hurt Chinese workers. ( in fact, there are tent cities outside of Chinese plants, filled with people waiting to get these awful jobs. it's a mess from both sides. )

- in fact, if conditions improve in China, some jobs will come back to the States.

- that is already happening in cases where rising shipping and labor costs are changing the equation. see next page...

___

- one of the awful policies of Chinese management is to pay low wages in order to force people to work more hours. talk about a devil-deal.

___

- i have an odd connection to this problem:

- in 1984- the first year of the little, stand-up Macintosh- i was an Apple developer.

- i made the first scanned image software for the Mac that came from outside the company. we were shipping in March. ( it was called, "Clip 1". )

- Apple liked it.

- they ordered four hundred copies as Christmas presents for their factory workers. that factory was in Silicon Valley. *

___

- you can bet that the PR department at Apple approached management a year ago- or four years ago- with the problem of working conditions in China. they advised that it would be cheap to make it right, now, and expensive to play catch-up later.

___

- [ i didn't mail the note in the picture. saw a typo and made a text correction. the rewrite goes like this:

"Hi, Apple Folks-

I didn't pay enough for my iPad 2. The working conditions at Foxconn make that clear.

Please apply this money to the problem and charge 2 dollars more in the future."

I think that Apple marketers will object to a price change that goes above the standard "$1.99" tactic. On the contrary, running the price above the standard is a plus in this case. The word will get out what the extra charge is about. Apple has an expensive PR problem. This is a cheap solution.

___

- the Foxconn factories in China make products for Mototorola, Bell, Hewlett-Packard, Apple, and others.

___

- a performing artist and journalist, Mike Daisey, went to China and stood outside of a Foxconn factory in Shen Chen and talked to workers as they came out.

- Daisey says there are two issues: wages and conditions:

- wages would be ok by local standards if they were actually paid. they often are not.

- as for conditions- given that the cost of assembling an iPhone is about $6- coming into compliance with [existing] Chinese labor laws, … "is going to cost A COUPLE OF DOLLARS".

Source: radio show on NPR: "Your Call" yourcallradio.org/ - search 'apple'.

Mike Daisey speaks of this between counters 22:00 and 22:33.

- i sent the 2 Dollar pages to Rose Aguilar, the creator of the "Your Call" program on NPR.

- she sent more info back to me: "The same goes for Wal-Mart. If you add about 40 cents to your purchase, overseas workers would be paid a living wage. Thanks, Rose."

___

Feb. 18, 2012- George sent me new info from WIRED: of the two problems- wages and conditions (which includes safety), Foxconn has made a gesture to solve part of one of them- perhaps to quiet criticism:

www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2012/02/foxconn-raises-pay-of-fac...

___

Feb. 20, 2012- New York Times reporter says on NPR, this morning, that Foxconn has improved some of the wage problem and, now, some of the conditions problem in their factories. Foxconn is known for ignoring Chinese law but there may be some change coming.

___

- i have two Apple devices that were made in China, so i'm sending a second envelope:

Hi, Apple folks-

I didn't pay enough for my wonderful Mac Mini. Please find two dollars, enclosed.

If I had paid two dollars more, the working conditions at Foxconn would be fair and honorable, and your developing PR problem would disappear.

Around 1989, I designed in-house and TIE icons- static and animated- for you. I conceived the comic Hypercard animation for 'selling' Space Shuttle arms- the one where the arm picked up a button on the screen and turned it to read backwards.

I have owned many Macs and have influenced at least ten other people to go the Mac route and let Windows twist in the wind.

I love Apple.

Please make this right and charge two dollars more from now on. No one will notice on our side of the Rim.

___

* - [ only a quarter of the Apple order for "Clip 1" was filled- 100 copies. but that is another story.]

Give Image Credit To: 'https://recondoil.com'. Hyperlink: RecondOil

Problem solving with RCECC - Red clowns enter caves carefully - Read Choose Estimate Calculate Check

We decided to go for a city break rather than sun in Tenerife again this September. Other than a few days in the North East we haven’t been away since last March and wanted a change and hopefully some sun. The problem is getting flights from the north of England to the places we want to go to. We chose Valencia as we could fly from East Midlands – which was still a pain to get to as it involved the most notorious stretch of the M1 at five in the morning. In the end we had a fairly good journey, the new Ryanair business class pre-booked scheme worked quite well and bang on time as usual. It was dull when we landed with storms forecast all week, the sky was bright grey – the kiss of death to the photography I had in mind. I was full of cold and wishing I was at work. It did rain but it was overnight on our first night and didn't affect us. There has been a drought for eleven months apparently and it rained on our first day there! The forecast storms didn't materialise in Valencia but they got it elsewhere.

You May notice discrepancies in the spelling of some Spanish words or names, this is because Valencian is used on signs, in some guide books and maps. There are two languages in common use with distinct differences. There may also be genuine mistakes - it has been known!

Over the course of a Monday to Sunday week we covered 75 miles on foot and saw most of the best of Valencia – The City of Bell Towers. The Old City covers a pretty large area in a very confusing layout. There was a lot of referring to maps – even compass readings! – a first in a city for us. The problem with photography in Valencia is that most of the famous and attractive building are closely built around, some have poor quality housing built on to them. Most photographs have to be taken from an extreme angle looking up. There are no high points as it is pan flat, there are a small number of buildings where you can pay to go up on to the roof for a better view and we went up them – more than once!

The modern buildings of The City of Arts and Sciences – ( Ciutat de Las Arts I de les Ciencies ) are what the city has more recently become famous for, with tourists arriving by the coachload all day until late at night. They must be photographed millions of times a month. We went during the day and stayed till dark one evening, I gave it my best shot but a first time visit is always a compromise between ambition and realism, time dictates that we have to move on to the next destination. I travelled with a full size tripod – another first – I forgot to take it with me to TCoAaS! so It was time to wind up the ISO, again! Needless to say I never used the tripod.

On a day when rain was forecast but it stayed fine, albeit a bit dull, we went to the Bioparc north west of the city, a zoo by another name. There are many claims made for this place, were you can appear to walk alongside some very large animals, including, elephants, lions, giraffe, rhino, gorillas and many types of monkey to name a few. It is laid out in different geographical regions and there is very little between you and the animals, in some cases there is nothing, you enter the enclosure through a double door arrangement and the monkeys are around you. It gets rave reviews and we stayed for most of the day. The animals it has to be said gave the appearance of extreme boredom and frustration and I felt quite sorry for them.

The course of The River Turia was altered after a major flood in the 50’s. The new river runs west of the city flanked by a motorway. The old river, which is massive, deep and very wide between ancient walls, I can’t imagine how it flooded, has been turned into a park that is five miles long. There is an athletics track, football pitches, cycle paths, restaurants, numerous kids parks, ponds, fountains, loads of bridges, historic and modern. At the western end closest to the sea sits The City of Arts and Sciences – in the river bed. Where it meets the sea there is Valencia’s urban Formula One racetrack finishing in the massive marina built for The Americas Cup. The race track is in use as roadways complete with fully removable street furniture, kerbs, bollards, lights, islands and crossings, everything is just sat on the surface ready to be moved.

We found the beach almost by accident, we were desperate for food after putting in a lot of miles and the afternoon was ticking by. What a beach, 100’s of metres wide and stretching as far as the eye could see with a massive promenade. The hard thing was choosing, out of the dozens of restaurants, all next door to each other, all serving traditional Paella – rabbit and chicken – as well as seafood, we don’t eat seafood and it constituted 90% of the menu in most places. Every restaurant does a fixed price dish of the day, with a few choices, three courses and a drink. Some times this was our only meal besides making the most of the continental breakfast at the hotel. We had a fair few bar stops with the local wine being cheap and pleasant it would have been a shame not to, there would have been a one woman riot – or strike!

On our final day, a Sunday, we were out of bed and down for breakfast at 7.45 as usual, the place was deserted barring a waiter. We walked out of the door at 8.30 – in to the middle of a mass road race with many thousands of runners, one of a series that take place in Valencia – apparently! We struggled to find out the distance, possibly 10km. The finish was just around the corner so off we went with the camera gear, taking photos of random runners and groups. There was a TV crew filming it and some local celebrity (I think) commentating. Next we came across some sort of wandering religious and musical event. Some sort of ritual was played out over the course of Sunday morning in various locations, it involved catholic priests and religious buildings and another film crew. The Catholic tourists and locals were filling the (many) churches for Sunday mass. Amongst all of this we had seen men walking around in Arab style dress – the ones in black looked like the ones from ISIS currently beheading people – all carrying guns. A bit disconcerting. We assumed that there had been some sort of battle enactment. We were wrong, it hadn’t happened yet. A while later, about 11.30 we could hear banging, fireworks? No it was our friends with the guns. We were caught up in total mayhem, around 60 men randomly firing muskets with some sort of blank rounds, the noise, smoke and flames from the muzzles were incredible. We were about to climb the Torres de Serranos which is where, unbeknown to us, the grand, and deafening, finale was going to be. We could feel the blast in our faces on top of the tower. Yet again there was a film camera in attendance. I couldn’t get close ups but I got a good overview and shot my first video with the 5D, my first in 5 years of owning a DLSR with the capability. I usually use my phone ( I used my phone as well). Later in the day there was a bullfight taking place, the ring was almost next to our hotel, in the end we had other things to do and gave it a miss, it was certainly a busy Sunday in the city centre, whether it’s the norm or not I don’t know.

There is a tram system in Valencia but it goes from the port area into the newer part of the city on the north side, it wouldn’t be feasible to serve the historic old city really. A quick internet search told me that there are 55,000 university students in the city, a pretty big number. I think a lot of the campus is on the north side and served by the tram although there is a massive fleet of buses as well. There is a massive, very impressive market building , with 100’s of stalls that would make a photo project on its own, beautiful on the inside and out but very difficult to get decent photos of the exterior other than detail shots owing to the closeness of other buildings and the sheer size of it. Across town, another market has been beautifully renovated and is full of bars and restaurants and a bit of a destination in its own right.

A downside was the all too typical shafting by the taxi drivers who use every trick in the book to side step the official tariffs and rob you. The taxi from the airport had a “broken” meter and on the way home we were driven 22 km instead of the nine that is the actual distance. Some of them seem to view tourists as cash cows to be robbed at all costs. I emailed the Marriot hotel as they ordered the taxi, needless to say no answer from Marriot – they’ve had their money. We didn’t get the rip off treatment in the bars etc. that we experienced in Rome, prices are very fair on most things, certainly considering the city location.

All in all we had a good trip and can highly recommend Valencia.

rosegoldsavage.blogspot.de

Gopro

bookfair leipzig 2010

cosplay contest

View On Black

Thank you dear David, Chiara, and Paul :-)

PS I wish the solution to all problems were this simple!

For more on Caligulan Numismatic Articles see: Coins courtesy cngoins.com

Related Articles of Caligula from American Numismatic Society Library Search

Library Catalog Search (Preliminary Version)

Full Record: Barrett, Anthony A. The invalidation of currency in the Roman Empire : the Claudian demonetization of Caligula's AES. (1999)

Full Record: Bost, Jean-Pierre. Routes, cits et ateliers montaires : quelques remarques sur les officines hispaniques entre les rgnes d'Auguste en de Caligula. (1999)

Full Record: Bibliothque Municipale d'Etude et d'Information de Grenoble. Grenoble : Bibliothque Municipale d'Etude et d'Information : catalogue des monnaies. II. Monnaies romaines. Monnaies impriales romaines. 2. Caligula - Neron . Index. / Bernard Rmy, Frdric Bontoux, Virginie Risler. (1998)

Full Record: Gainor, John R. The image of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from coins / by John R. Gainor.

Full Record: Martini, Rodolfo. Monete romane imperiali del Museo G. B. Adriani. Parte 3, Caius (37-41 d.C.) / Rodolfo Martini. (2001)

Full Record: ACCLA privy to presentation by Richard Baker on Caligula. (2002)

Full Record: Wend, David A. Caligula, the emperor as autocrat. Part 1. (2002)

Full Record: Wend, David A. Caligula, the emperor as autocrat. Part 2. (2002)

Full Record: Wend, David A. Caligula, the emperor as autocrat. Part 3. (2002)

Full Record: Kemmers, Fleur. Caligula on the Lower Rhine : Coin finds from the Roman Fort of Albaniana (The Netherlands) / Fleur Kemmers. (2004)

Full Record: Estiot, Sylviane. Le trsor de Meussia (Jura) : 399 monnaies d'argent d'poques rpublicaine et julio-claudienne / Sylviane Estiot, Isabelle Aymar. (2002)

Full Record: Gocht, Hans. Namenstilgungen an Bronzemünzen des Caligula und Claudius / Hans Gocht. (2003)

Full Record: Gomis Justo, Marivi. Ercavica : La emision de Caligula. Estimacion del numero de cunos originales.

Full Record: Sayles, Wayne G. Fakes on the Internet. (2002)

Full Record: Kemmers, Fleur. The coin finds from the Roman fort Albaniana, the Netherlands / Fleur Kemmers . (2005)

Full Record: Lopez Snchez, Fernando. La afirmacion soberana de Caligula y de Claudio y el fin de las acunaciones ciudadanas en occidente / Fernando Lopez Snchez. (2000)

Full Record: Besombes, Paul-Andr. Les monnaies hispaniques de Claude Ier des dpôts de la Vilaine (Rennes) et de Saint-Lonard (Mayenne) : tmoins de quel type de contact entre l'Armorique et la pninsule ibrique ? / Paul-Andr Besombes. (2005)

Full Record: Catalli, Fiorenzo. Le thesaurus de Sora / Fiorenzo Catalli et John Scheid.

Full Record: Giard, Jean-Baptiste. Faux deniers de Caligula de la Renaissance.

Full Record: Vermeule, Cornelius. Faces of Empire (Julius Caesar to Justinian). Part II(B), More young faces : Caligula again and Nero reborn / Cornelius Vermeule. (2005)

Full Record: Geranio, Joe. Portraits of Caligula : the seated figure? / Joe Geranio. (2007)

Full Record: Aguilera Hernandez, Alberto. Acerca de un as de Caligula hallado en Zaragoza / Alberto Aguilera Hernandez. (2007)

Full Record: Butcher, K. E. T. Caligula : the evil emperor. (1985)

Full Record: Fuchs, Michaela. Frauen um Caligula und Claudius : Milonia Caesonia, Drusilla und Messalina. (1990)

Full Record: Faur, Jean-Claude. Moneda de Caligula de Museo Arqueologico Provincial de Tarragona. (1979)

Full Record: British Museum. Dept. of coins and medals. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British museum. Vol. I: Augustus to Vitellius / by Harold Mattingly. (1976)

Full Record: Conrad, Edwin. A Caligula Isotope of Hadrian. (1968)

Full Record: Conrad, Edwin. The Metamorphosis of an Allegad 'As of Hadrian.' (1968)

Full Record: Bendall, Simon. A 'new' gold quinarius of Caligula. (1985)

Full Record: Cortellini, Nereo. Le monete di Caligola nel Cohen.

Full Record: Guey, Julien. Les "bains d'or" de Caligula "Immensi Avreorvm Acervi (Sutone, Cal., 42,3).

Full Record: Guey, J. Les "bains d'or" de Caligula : Sutone, Cal. 42, 3.

Full Record: Curry, Michael R. The Aes Quadrans of Caligula. (1968)

Full Record: Jonas, Elemr. L'emploi dar "damnatio memoriae" sur l'un des "dupondius" de Calgula. (1937)

Full Record: Julian, R. W. The coins of Caligula. (1994)

Full Record: Donciu, Ramiro. Cu privire la activitatea militara a lui Caius (Caligula) in anul 40 e.n. (1983)

Full Record: Hansen, Peter. A history of Caligula's Vesta. (1992)

Full Record: Kaenel, Hans-Markus von. Augustus, Caligula oder Caludius? (1978)

Full Record: Kaenel, Hans-Markus von. Die Organisation der Münzprgung Caligulas. (1987)

Full Record: Johansen, Flemming S. The sculpted portraits of Caligula. (1987)

Full Record: Carter, G. F. Chemical compositions of copper-based Roman coins. V : imitations of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero / G. F. Carter and others. (1978)

Full Record: Giard, Jean-Baptiste. L'atelier de Lyon sous Auguste : Tibre et Caligula. (1979)

Full Record: Giard, Jean-Baptiste. Les missions d'or et d'argent de Caligula dans l'atelier de Lyon. (1976)

Full Record: Giard, Jean-Baptiste. Le monnayage de l'atelier de Lyon des origines au rgne de Caligula (43 avant J.-C. - 41 aprs J.-C.). (1983)

Full Record: Nony, D. Quelques as d'imitation de Caligula trouves a Bordeaux (Gironde). (1981)

Full Record: Levy, Brooks Emmons. Caligula's radiate crown. (1988)

Full Record: Poulsen, Vagn. Un nouveau visage de Caligula. (1972)

Full Record: Price, Martin Jessop. Elephant in Crete? New light ona cistophorus of Caligula. (1973)

Full Record: MacInnis, H. Frank. Ego-driven emperor commits excesses. (1979)

Full Record: McKenna, Thomas P. The case of the curious coin of Caligula : a provincial bronze restruck with legend-only dies. (1994)

Full Record: Mowat, Robert. Bronzes remarquables de Tibre, de son fils, de ses petits-fils et de Caligula. (1911)

Full Record: Koenig, Franz E. Roma, monete dal Tevere : l'imperatore Gaio (Caligola). (1988)

Full Record: Kollgaard, Ron. Caligula's coins profile despot. (1993)

Full Record: Kollgaard, Ron. A numismatic mystery : "the Caligula quadrans." (1994)

Full Record: Martini, Rodolfo. Osservazioni su contromarche ed erosioni su assi de Caligula. (1980)

Full Record: Szaivert, Wolfgang. Moneta Imperii Romani. Band 2 und 3. Die Münzprgung der Kaiser Tiberius und Caius (Caligula) 14/41 / von Wolfgang Szaivert. (1984)

Full Record: Boschung, Dietrich. Die Bildnisse des Caligula. Kaenel, Hans-Markus von. Jucker, Hans. Deutsches Archaologisches Institut. Das Romische Herrscherbild. 1. Abt., Bd. 4, Die Bildnisse des Caligula / Dietrich Boschung ; mit einem Beitrag von Hans-Markus von Kaenel ; auf Grund der Vorarbeiten und Marterialsammlungen von Hans Jucker. (1989)

Full Record: Rosborough, Ruskin R. An epigraphic commentary on Suetonius's life of Gaius Caligula. A thesis...for the...Doctor of Philosophy. (1920)

Full Record: Richard, Jean-Claude. A propos de l'aureus de Caligula dcouvert Saint-Colomban-des-Villards (Savoie). (1982)

Full Record: Richard, Jean-Claude. Un aureus de Caligula dcouvert Saint-Colomban-des-Villards (Savoie). (1982)

Full Record: Ritter, Hans-Werner. Adlocutio und Corona Civica unter Caligula und Tiberius. (1971)

Full Record: Kumpikevicius, Gordon C. A numismatic look at Gaius. (1979)

Full Record: Savio, Adriano. La coerenza di Caligola nella gestione della moneta / Adriano Savio. (1988)

Full Record: Savio, Adriano. Note su alcune monete di Gaio-Caligola. (1973)

Full Record: Stylow, Armin U. Die Quadranten des Caligula als Propaganda-münzen.münzen" aus der stdtischen sammlung zu Osnabrück. (1971)

Full Record: Schwartz, Jacques. Le Monnayage Snatorial entre 37 et 42 P.C. (1951)

Full Record: Rodolfo Martini, ed. Sylloge nummorum Romanorum. Italia. Milano, Civiche Raccolte Numismatiche Vol. 1 Giulio-Claudii / a cura di Rodolfo Martini. (1990)

Full Record: Szaivert, Wolfgang. Zur Julisch-Claudischen Münzprgung. (1979)

Full Record: Vedrianus. The Roman Imperial series. V. Gaius. (1963)

Full Record: Tietze, Christian M. Kaiser Cajus Caesar, genannt Caligula. (1979)

Full Record: Wood, Susan. Diva Drusilla Panthea and the sisters of Caligula / Susan Wood. (1995)

Full Record: Sutherland, Carol Humphrey Vivian. Coinage in Roman imperial policy 31 B.C.-A.D. 68. (1951)

Full Record: Sutherland, C. H. V. The mints of Lugdunum and Rome under Gaius : an unsolved problem. (1981)

Full Record: Trillmich, Walter. Familienpropaganda der Kaiser Caligula und Claudius : Agrippina Maior und Antonia Augusta auf Münzen. (1978)

Full Record: Voirol, August. Eine Warenumsatzsteuer im antiken Rom und der numismatische Beleg inher Aufhebung : Centesima rerum venalium. (1943)

Full Record: Trillmich, Walter. Zur Münzprgung des Caligula von Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza). (1973)

by Alfredo Fernandes

Alfi Art Production, Divar

41st Tiatr Competition A group of Kala Academy supported by TAG

13.10.2015

more here

joegoauk-tiatr.blogspot.in/2015/10/41st-tiatr-competition...

Nevil Cardozo and Evarist de Arambol

Missing a main bearing thrust washer, poxy vxl.

Social Design for Wicked Problems Kick-off

Calculus has widespread application in areas like Engineering and Science. Since this study is pivotal in branching out to other fields, it is important to get the best help right from the formative years itself. Solving calculus problems is not easy but with the help of tutorvista's online tutors, this will become much easy and simple. Our online tutors will help you out to solve your calculus problems and understand the concepts with a better hand. Get your help from our tutors and ensure yourself quality learning on the subject.

.. at a web conference ? never

Who decided to put the Find button on the left side of the input field? And the link below the box is usually used for advance search or search options. Two bad design choices...

+++ 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:

Even in the early phase of the development of the Panzerkampfwagen V “Panther”, there were doubts as to whether the Panther would still be sufficiently protected against enemy anti-tank weapons in 1943. The attempt to introduce reinforced armor in the development of the "normal" Panther failed. For this reason, a further development called "Panther II" was worked on. The initial design of the vehicles differed only in terms of armor thickness. However, at a meeting on February 10, 1943, MAN 's chief development engineer, Dr. Wiebecke, said that the Panther in its original form did not meet the requirements of the Eastern Front.

Nevertheless, due to the E-50/75’s ongoing development, its rising production priority from late 1945 on and an ever-worsening resource situation, the final Panther variants, the Ausf. F and H, were only produced between early 1945 and summer 1946. After that, Panther production ceased altogether in favor of the new Einheitspanzer family. Exact production numbers of the Panther Ausf. H are uncertain, because of the many hybrids and the chaotic production conditions, but less than 250 were finished and sent to frontline units.

Specifications:

Crew: Five (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)

Weight: 53 tonnes (52.1 long tons; 58.2 short tons)

Length: 6.87 m (22 ft 6 in) hull only

9,14 m (29 ft 11½ in) overall with gun facing forward

Width: 3.42 m (11 ft 3 in)

Height: 2,81 m (9 ft 2½ in)

Suspension: Double torsion bar, interleaved road wheels

Fuel capacity: 720 liters (160 imp gal; 190 US gal)

Armor:

15–100 mm (0.6 – 3.93 in)

Performance:

Maximum road speed: 56 km/h (35 mph)

Operational range: 250 km (160 mi) on roads

100 km (62 mi) cross-country

Power/weight: 13.2 PS (9.5 kW)/tonne (12.02 hp/ton)

Engine & transmission:

Maybach HL234 V-12 gasoline engine with 700 PS (690 hp, 515 kW)

Maybach OLVAR OG 44 16 11 A gearbox with 8 forward and 2 reverse gears

Armament:

1× 8.8 cm KwK 43 (L/56) with 67 rounds, stored in the turret and the hull

1× 7.92 mm MG 42, mounted co-axially with the main gun with 2.500 rounds

1× 26 mm Nahverteidigungswaffe in the turret roof

Optional 6× Schnellnebelkerze 39 smoke dischargers, mounted to the turret flanks

Provision for a 7.92 mm MG 42 or MG 34 FlaMG on the commander cupola

The kit and its assembly:

This fictional Heer ’46 Panther variant was inspired by a Hasegawa Panther Ausf. F kit, which features rubber-saving all-steel wheels and a Schmalturm as optional parts – effectively a ‘whif-out-of-the-box’. I got it dead cheap, but just the plastic, without box, decals or instructions. I wondered how this hybrid could be even more upgraded, so that it could become a (fictional) stopgap solution to bridge the delayed introduction of the E-50/75 tank family? The result became my fictional ‘Ausführung H’.

To this end, I gave the Panther a bigger 8.8 cm gun, but this necessitated an enlarged turret. To keep things simple, I used the OOB Schmalturm to create a fictional extended version with a longer overhang at the rear – a “variant” that is actually available as one of the Modelcollect OOB E-50 kits, too. The overhang was scratched with the Schmalturm’s rear wall, styrene sheet material and 2C putty – the overhang is not large, but IMHO the turret looks now much more balanced than the original Schmalturm? For an individual look I also modified the gun mantlet, using early Panther parts from the Hasegawa kit and an 88 mm gun barrel with a muzzle brake left over from an Armorfast Jagdpanther. Additionally, some details were added to the turret, including a cover for the Nahverteidigungswaffe, periscopes and some free-standing lugs.

Another small modification: I removed the machine gun opening from the front glacis plate as a production simplification measure – after the driver’s visor slit had disappeared from the late production Panther Gs, removing the only other weak point in the front armor appeared like a plausible step. To create an even more E-50ish look I moved the light from the mudguards to the center of the glacis plate.

The running gear was taken OOB from the Hasegawa kit. To create a different look, I omitted the Panther’s standard side skirts that had protected the tank’s weak spot in the running gear above its tracks.

PE grates from a Modelcollect E-50/75 were fitted over the cooling fan openings (even though they did not fit perfectly), and I scratched two small smoke grenade mortar clusters for the turret flanks from sprue material. Tools and a container for a replacement main gun barrel segment were taken from the Hasegawa kit.

Painting and markings:

Another reason for this whiffy Panther was a camouflage concept that I had been wanting to test on a model for a while. It was inspired by French tank paint schemes from the early WWII phase: some vehicles carried a paint scheme consisting of horizontal, wavy high-contrast bands – an attempt to mimic a landscape with the horizon, consisting of relatively dark colors on low tank areas and light colors, even light grey or blue, on the turret. While some French tanks carried rather garish colors, I thought that this concept could work well with more subdued tones, only using the color contrast and trying to maximize the camouflage effect depending on the viewer’s perspective on the tank : either horizontally against the horizon, but also from above, when the vehicle would need a different camouflage against the ground.

The typical German “Hinterhalt” camouflage colors, Dunkelgelb, Olivgrün and the darker Rotbraun (RAL 7028, 6003 and 8017, respectively) were a good, limited palette to try this stunt, using Modelmaster 2095, a mix of Humbrol 86 and 78 for a lighter shade of green and Humbrol 180. Conforming to German standards, the running gear was painted uniformly, and I used RAL 7028 all around as a countershading measure. RAL 7028 was also applied to the turret flanks and to the barrel’s underside, to reduce the contrast of these areas against the sky.

RAL 6003 and 8017 were then primarily applied to the roof areas of hull, turret, and barrel, with only small RAL 7028 spots here and there to break these dark areas up against the ground when seen from above. To generally break the tank’s outlines up, the demarcation lines between the light and dark areas were painted with sharp, very wavy, “amoeba-esque” edges.

The model received an overall washing with dark brown ink and some dry-brushing with light grey to emphasize edges and details. The vinyl tracks were painted, too, with a mix of grey, red brown and iron (acrylic paints). The decals/markings are minimal, all taken from the scrap box, and the model was finally sealed with matt acrylic vanish overall, plus some very light extra dry-brushing with silver to simulate flaked paint, and dirt and rust residues were added here and there with watercolors. After final assembly, the lower areas of the model were furthermore powdered with mineral pigments to simulate mud crusts and dust.

A straightforward what-if/Heer ’46 project. From a hardware perspective, the idea of an upgraded Panther as an E-50 stopgap for late 1945 with a bigger turret and gun works IMHO well, as the model combines old and new elements. The paint scheme experiment worked, too; when seen from the side, the wavy contrast between the light and dark areas breaks up the Panther’s silhouette against the horizon, while the rather dark colors from above conceal the vehicle against the ground, e. g. when it would be hidden under trees or in the shadows between buildings. The overall package looks quite plausible! :D

(for further information please go to the end of page and activate the corresponding link!)

TOPICS

The Vienna Opera Ball

Viennese Opera Ball

Just as already the operetta and the waltz had been imported from Paris to Vienna, comes also the model for the Vienna Opera Ball from the Seine metropolis. By a corresponding approval of Duke Philip of Orleans, on 2 January 1716 a "public ball" can be held for the first time, to which everyone has access who can pay the admission fee of five livres. First, the balls take place at the Comédie française, but already in 1717 was given the Académie de Musique, the Paris Opera House, the special right of the organization. Nevertheless, in the Comédie furthermore take place balls, with the audience far more popular than the 'opera balls'.

In 1861 the construction of an opera house begins at the Ringstrasse, on the explicit desire of Emperor Franz Joseph not solely intended for performances of operas and ballets, but also for the staging of the Opera Ball. With this, have been created both the spatial and the official conditions for a genuine Viennese Opera Ball according to Parisian model. It should, however, take another eight years before a dance event in the opera could be held for the first time after the completion of the house in 1869.

Initially, due to the increasing violence at the Paris balls but only Court Opera soirees take place. This includes elegant evening soirees with musical entertainment, but without dancing. On 11 December 1877 opened the court musical director Wilhelm Gericke the first Court Opera Soirée with the "Wedding March" by Felix Mendelssohn. After several concert pieces the baton is handed over to the Strauss family. First, Johann Strauss son conducts the Vienna Philharmonic with a waltz, followed by his brother Edward with a specially for this day composed "Opera Soirée Polka". After that, the dance-crazed Viennese are no longer stoppable: all chairs were put to the side, and the evening, which was thought without dance pleasure, ends like a ball. This is the hour of birth of the opera ball, even though for the time being still far away from being called so.

Already the second event on 15 January 1878 is announced officially as "Second Hofopernsoirée (Ball)". The third, for 12 February 1878 scheduled Soirée, is canceled for reasons of piety, since Pope Pius IX. a few days earlier had died. After the uncomplicated election of Leo XIII. to new head of the Church the ball is on 23 February rescheduled.

After these three opera soirees from March of the same year take place redoutes in the Court Opera, continuing the tradition of masked balls and linked with strict dress code: "in the hall, with the exception of the lodges, the ladies the stay is only permitted in an elegant mask, short costumes are not allowed. The gentlemen of civil appear in evening dress with white cravat, cylinder or Claquehut (opera hat - chapeau claque). "During the next twenty years during the carnival time each year should be organized two, in some seasons even three redoutes. However, at these festivals the Viennese society is not as boundless as once united in the common ball pleasure, because in the meantime the guests are spread across three different levels, not only differing in space but also in the appearance of guests from each other. Are the boxes the aristocratic guests in elaborate ball gowns reserved, so gather in the stalls the bourgeois guests, for which there is no mask constraint. In addition, there are the galleries that are accessible to every viewer without special admission ticket.

1899 the popular balls for the time being come to an abrupt end, as is discovered that the opera for such festivals does not comply with the safety regulations. Since an appropriate conversion proves to be too costly, the redoutes are discontinued for an unforeseen period of time. A certain compensation for those festivals offers in the following years the in the new town hall held "Ball der Stadt Wien".

Only in 1921, the tradition of the redoutes in the Court Opera has been resumed, but without being able to follow on the success of previous years. After several breaks followed in 1924, 1928 and 1929 again opera redoutes, neither musically nor stylistically corresponding with the level of the defunct imperial monarchy-time and they are not characterized by the former wit, charm and temperament. The twenties are not only politically, but also culturally a very different time in which with the progressive emancipation of women the meaning of a redoute became obsolete.

And so 1935 is launched the first as such referred to Opera Ball. In a time of political uncertainty, it complied in addition to social also with diplomatic and official representative purposes. Therefore, it takes no wonder that the guest list has many personalities from politics. The last opera ball before the outbreak of the Second World War should be organized in 1939, when Austria was already 'connected' by Adolf Hitler to the German Reich. Therefore respectively stiff and artificial resulted according to that this night on which no happiness will raise, previously the rule.

Image

Reopening of the Vienna State Opera, 1955

© wissenmedia

Shortly before the end of World War II, the Vienna Opera House on 12 March 1945 almost completely was destroyed by a bomb. It should take ten years until the house was rebuilt and with Ludwig van Beethoven's opera "Fidelio" at the 5th November 1955 ceremoniously could be opened. In the following carnival season with this also the first opera ball of the post-war period can be celebrated, but which has changed its face much: "Actually, the Opera Ball is not a Viennese event anymore, but already a pan-European one. A ball night for which the world envies us".

This new image has remained to this day, with the only difference that the Opera Ball is now no longer considered only as a pan-European, but as an international event. A highlight of the evening is the annual opening of the ball by about 180 debutantes who on the arm of the to them for this evening assigned Cavaliers in a Polonaise move in. After the Vienna Philharmonic for many years had taken over the musical interpretation of the evening, there is since 1982 a Vienna Opera Ball Orchestra grounded specifically for this purpose. In addition, since 1984, there is also a Viennese Opera Ball Ladies Ensemble, made ​​up of 15 musicians and beyond the ball unfolding a very busy concert schedule.

Today on the Opera Ball there is not exclusively danced just waltz anymore. Up to ten orchestras or soloists play at the same time in different places of the house, and as a concession to modern times there is since some years even a nightclub. And yet, the waltz enjoys as the king of dances to this day unbroken popularity, without which for many no Viennese Opera Ball is thinkable. Another innovation is also the since 1981 in the Schwind Foyer installed Viennese Opera Ball Casino, which is a special attraction especially for the younger guests. Collectors will also appreciate the annually by the casino issued special Opera Ball chips.

How to become a debutante?

Proposals are now mostly send in by the dance schools of the country. The first condition is the perfect mastery of the links waltz, which is checked at a Vortanztermin (dance audition date - don't worry, the Lipizzans are doing the same!). Has the potential debutante overcome this hurdle with flying colors, it is about to find a suitable partner for the big night. The criteria for this choice are less situated in personal relationships than in pure dance qualities. After finally the couples have found each other, for five days under the expert guidance of several ballet master not only the links waltz, but also the choreography of the marching in is practiced until everything is perfectly rehearsed. The question of clothes is strictly regulated for the couples: the ladies in white dresses with a little crown on the head and the gentlemen in evening dress. To underline the internationality of the ball, every year also Debütantinnen and Debütanten from around the world are invited.

Guests

Artists from the world of the theater and the music, film and television can be found on the Vienna Opera Ball as well as well-known athletes and fashion designers. Diplomats and politicians from home and abroad appreciate the special atmosphere, and every now and then you meet also members of the European nobility. The Opera Ball today is no longer just a lavish celebration in which together a whole evening and a full night is celebrated, but increasingly also a social forum that connects professional and political contacts in a pleasant way with a social event.

Scandals

In recent decades, the Vienna Opera Ball, however, has not only found unanimous support, but has been increasingly criticized. In the 80s made fights between angry citizens that characterized the event as a "festival of the political and monetary bigwigs" and the police the headlines. Unforgettable is also the demonstration against the reprocessing plant Wackersdorf when in 1987 the Bavarian Prime Minister Franz-Josef Strauss participated in the Opera Ball. In addition, now almost every year during the opera ball take place demonstrations against these seemingly senseless waste of funds in the face of hardship and misery, hunger and wars, social and health problems in the world.

Nevertheless, the Opera Ball has lost none of its fascination and all over the world - from Bangkok via Kuala Lumpur and Korea to Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Dubai, Ankara, Istanbul, Kiev, Prague and Budapest to Rome, New York, Los Angeles and Washington - it found imitation, without being able to ever really come close to the Viennese model. Even if the question of the contemporaneity of the Vienna Opera Ball ever and again was controversially discussed, at the latest in 2005 has been shown that even this traditional event cannot stop short before general social changes: for the first time a smoking ban for the Opera Ball was pronounced.

www.wissen.de/thema/der-wiener-opernball?chunk=wiener-ope...

We decided to go for a city break rather than sun in Tenerife again this September. Other than a few days in the North East we haven’t been away since last March and wanted a change and hopefully some sun. The problem is getting flights from the north of England to the places we want to go to. We chose Valencia as we could fly from East Midlands – which was still a pain to get to as it involved the most notorious stretch of the M1 at five in the morning. In the end we had a fairly good journey, the new Ryanair business class pre-booked scheme worked quite well and bang on time as usual. It was dull when we landed with storms forecast all week, the sky was bright grey – the kiss of death to the photography I had in mind. I was full of cold and wishing I was at work. It did rain but it was overnight on our first night and didn't affect us. There has been a drought for eleven months apparently and it rained on our first day there! The forecast storms didn't materialise in Valencia but they got it elsewhere.

You May notice discrepancies in the spelling of some Spanish words or names, this is because Valencian is used on signs, in some guide books and maps. There are two languages in common use with distinct differences. There may also be genuine mistakes - it has been known!

Over the course of a Monday to Sunday week we covered 75 miles on foot and saw most of the best of Valencia – The City of Bell Towers. The Old City covers a pretty large area in a very confusing layout. There was a lot of referring to maps – even compass readings! – a first in a city for us. The problem with photography in Valencia is that most of the famous and attractive building are closely built around, some have poor quality housing built on to them. Most photographs have to be taken from an extreme angle looking up. There are no high points as it is pan flat, there are a small number of buildings where you can pay to go up on to the roof for a better view and we went up them – more than once!

The modern buildings of The City of Arts and Sciences – ( Ciutat de Las Arts I de les Ciencies ) are what the city has more recently become famous for, with tourists arriving by the coachload all day until late at night. They must be photographed millions of times a month. We went during the day and stayed till dark one evening, I gave it my best shot but a first time visit is always a compromise between ambition and realism, time dictates that we have to move on to the next destination. I travelled with a full size tripod – another first – I forgot to take it with me to TCoAaS! so It was time to wind up the ISO, again! Needless to say I never used the tripod.

On a day when rain was forecast but it stayed fine, albeit a bit dull, we went to the Bioparc north west of the city, a zoo by another name. There are many claims made for this place, were you can appear to walk alongside some very large animals, including, elephants, lions, giraffe, rhino, gorillas and many types of monkey to name a few. It is laid out in different geographical regions and there is very little between you and the animals, in some cases there is nothing, you enter the enclosure through a double door arrangement and the monkeys are around you. It gets rave reviews and we stayed for most of the day. The animals it has to be said gave the appearance of extreme boredom and frustration and I felt quite sorry for them.

The course of The River Turia was altered after a major flood in the 50’s. The new river runs west of the city flanked by a motorway. The old river, which is massive, deep and very wide between ancient walls, I can’t imagine how it flooded, has been turned into a park that is five miles long. There is an athletics track, football pitches, cycle paths, restaurants, numerous kids parks, ponds, fountains, loads of bridges, historic and modern. At the western end closest to the sea sits The City of Arts and Sciences – in the river bed. Where it meets the sea there is Valencia’s urban Formula One racetrack finishing in the massive marina built for The Americas Cup. The race track is in use as roadways complete with fully removable street furniture, kerbs, bollards, lights, islands and crossings, everything is just sat on the surface ready to be moved.

We found the beach almost by accident, we were desperate for food after putting in a lot of miles and the afternoon was ticking by. What a beach, 100’s of metres wide and stretching as far as the eye could see with a massive promenade. The hard thing was choosing, out of the dozens of restaurants, all next door to each other, all serving traditional Paella – rabbit and chicken – as well as seafood, we don’t eat seafood and it constituted 90% of the menu in most places. Every restaurant does a fixed price dish of the day, with a few choices, three courses and a drink. Some times this was our only meal besides making the most of the continental breakfast at the hotel. We had a fair few bar stops with the local wine being cheap and pleasant it would have been a shame not to, there would have been a one woman riot – or strike!

On our final day, a Sunday, we were out of bed and down for breakfast at 7.45 as usual, the place was deserted barring a waiter. We walked out of the door at 8.30 – in to the middle of a mass road race with many thousands of runners, one of a series that take place in Valencia – apparently! We struggled to find out the distance, possibly 10km. The finish was just around the corner so off we went with the camera gear, taking photos of random runners and groups. There was a TV crew filming it and some local celebrity (I think) commentating. Next we came across some sort of wandering religious and musical event. Some sort of ritual was played out over the course of Sunday morning in various locations, it involved catholic priests and religious buildings and another film crew. The Catholic tourists and locals were filling the (many) churches for Sunday mass. Amongst all of this we had seen men walking around in Arab style dress – the ones in black looked like the ones from ISIS currently beheading people – all carrying guns. A bit disconcerting. We assumed that there had been some sort of battle enactment. We were wrong, it hadn’t happened yet. A while later, about 11.30 we could hear banging, fireworks? No it was our friends with the guns. We were caught up in total mayhem, around 60 men randomly firing muskets with some sort of blank rounds, the noise, smoke and flames from the muzzles were incredible. We were about to climb the Torres de Serranos which is where, unbeknown to us, the grand, and deafening, finale was going to be. We could feel the blast in our faces on top of the tower. Yet again there was a film camera in attendance. I couldn’t get close ups but I got a good overview and shot my first video with the 5D, my first in 5 years of owning a DLSR with the capability. I usually use my phone ( I used my phone as well). Later in the day there was a bullfight taking place, the ring was almost next to our hotel, in the end we had other things to do and gave it a miss, it was certainly a busy Sunday in the city centre, whether it’s the norm or not I don’t know.

There is a tram system in Valencia but it goes from the port area into the newer part of the city on the north side, it wouldn’t be feasible to serve the historic old city really. A quick internet search told me that there are 55,000 university students in the city, a pretty big number. I think a lot of the campus is on the north side and served by the tram although there is a massive fleet of buses as well. There is a massive, very impressive market building , with 100’s of stalls that would make a photo project on its own, beautiful on the inside and out but very difficult to get decent photos of the exterior other than detail shots owing to the closeness of other buildings and the sheer size of it. Across town, another market has been beautifully renovated and is full of bars and restaurants and a bit of a destination in its own right.

A downside was the all too typical shafting by the taxi drivers who use every trick in the book to side step the official tariffs and rob you. The taxi from the airport had a “broken” meter and on the way home we were driven 22 km instead of the nine that is the actual distance. Some of them seem to view tourists as cash cows to be robbed at all costs. I emailed the Marriot hotel as they ordered the taxi, needless to say no answer from Marriot – they’ve had their money. We didn’t get the rip off treatment in the bars etc. that we experienced in Rome, prices are very fair on most things, certainly considering the city location.

All in all we had a good trip and can highly recommend Valencia.

Get Famous Muslim Astrologer Muhammad Ali is providing online free Islamic astrological problems solution by the use of black magic spells and online Husband Wife Problem Solution or relationship problem solution with Famous amal, wazifa, amal or dua in Islam, also with kala jadu and vashikaran easily.

El empleado “bomba de tiempo” podría conducir a clientes insatisfechos, compañeros de trabajo infeliz, litigios costosos, violencia en el trabajo, o en algunos casos, todo lo anterior. Cualquiera sea la forma de una explosión toma, sus efectos pueden ser devastadores. Así que, como de...

revistarecursoshumanos.com/2016/09/05/evitar-empleados-bo...

I'm trying to get my dolly act together ><;

I've noticed this problem since I got her, but I did think it was stringing. I do my best to see if I can fix a problem before informing a company about it.

I had time to take both Lumis out and finally compare. The Lumi on the right is the Limited Vampire Lumi, the one that came in the special box, certificate, etc.

The one on the left is the extra body wrapped in that towel and I just put the extra head on it. The quality of the left doll is far better than the right.

I compared the elbow joint, even the stringing. I don't know what the problem is. I should not need to put wire in the doll's arms to get this to work.

Note also the left elbow doesn't even sit right. And the knees/legs are far worse to position. I don't know Lati mechanisms to fix the problem is if it's a mold issue.

SO, I'm asking latidoll if I can return that body with my whole Ruki doll for a replacement. I have never asked for anything from lati before, what do you all think?

Choose the best alternative:

1) I haven't an objective wide enough

2) the subject i too BIG

3) I am too close

4) stitching several photos is frustrating

5) anything else, pls describe.

camera : olympus xa rangefinder

film : kodak profoto 100 (underexposed at iso 200)

process : processed in c41

Marriage Problem Solution Specialist Astrologer Ankit Sharma Ji

Direct Call: +91-98154-18307

WhatsApp/Viber: +91-98154-18307

Mail: info(at)AstrologerAnkitSharma(dot)(com)

Skype: Ankit.sharma3291

He went on telling me about his life while I was taking his photo, and then he said "I used to be a graphic designer. The first business meeting I went to they said half a million dollars wasn't enough. But I'm here asking for loonies and toonies."-Matt Alvarez (right)

Pentax K1000

SMC Pentax-A 50mm 1:1.7

Fujifilm Superia 400

Saturday.

And already, our days in the heather-thatched cottage are coming to an end, as we leave here in two days. Oh dearie dearie me.

But before then, a major problem, in that we are running out of clean clothes. With our dongle-provided mega-slow internet connection, I find a post code of a laundrette in Hexham. With bags of rancid washing, we climb into the car and drive to the bright lights of Hexham.

The laundrette, or laundry, will do our clothes, and do them in three hours, so disaster averted. Waitrose opened at eight, so we stocked up on beer/cider and also got croissants for breakfast. So, despite being at the northern extreme of the empire, we could have a French style breakfast.

Outside, all was grey and gloomy; a light drizzle fell, so after discovering the car radio could pick up DAB radio, we tried the radio we brought inside, and with the radio in the one place in the living room that could pick up a signal, we sat listening to Danny Baker and his milk bottle-inspired stories.

As you do.

I look at some leaflets, and recall listening to a funny radio show by Mark Steel about Barnard’s Castle. The Bowes Museum looks like a French Chateu, has paintings and stuff. Which is why in ten minutes, we have loaded up the car and are heading to County Durham, again.

Up through Hexham, pausing to collect our freshly laundered washing, then up along narrow wall-lined lanes, up in the to foothills. Oddly, it all looked familiar, then it clicked: this was the road we travelled when we came up for a wedding on an old RAF friend of mine.

Anyway, past the Traveller’s Rest pub, and along roads that went up and down like a roller coaster, until the rad began to climb up and up. And just kept going. Soon we were ount on the moors, travelling along a road lined with wooden posts, used to find it when the snow fell. It was wonderfully bleak stuff.

The light was sensational, illuminating the rolling hills, covered with heather; glowing purple in the sunlight.

The road then started to descend, then drop like a stone into the town of Stanhope. We crossed the river, then the road reared up like a bucking bronko once again, in triple hairpin bends. Then we were crossing moors again, sunlight playing on the rolling moors. The fields were unfenced, so as well as the ducking and diving road, there were the silly sheep to contend with, who were prone to just wandering across the road.

A lone descent once again this time towards Barnard’s Castle, into a fine market town, the high street lined with interesting shops, and at the far end, a round building, around which a roundabout had been built. As you do.

We turned left to the Bowes Museum, and although we knew it was built to look like a French Chateau, to see it there, in the wilds of County Durham, is quite extraordinary.

We were able to park on the wide driveway, walk across the ornamental garden, thus ruining peoples shots, and up the steps leading to the terrace and entrance. The museum has just opened an exhibition of the French designer Yves Saint Laurent, is that how you spell it? Anyway, fashionistas of all ages were there, and us looking like two parcels of scruff. We paid for the ordinary entrance with out the YSL ticket.

----------------------------------------------------

The Bowes Museum is a hidden treasure, a jewel in the heart of beautiful Teesdale. The magnificent building stands proud in the historic market town of Barnard Castle housing internationally significant collections of fine and decorative arts. Purpose built in the 19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes, the Museum has a wonderful story to tell.

John, the son of the 10th Earl of Strathmore, was born at No 13 South Street, Chelsea, London. His mother was a commoner, Mary Millner, who caught the Earl's eye when she worked on his Teesdale estate and ended up living with the Earl to all intents as his wife for many years. The Earl married her just 16 hours before his death in an unsuccessful attempt to secure his son’s succession. Two very long court cases ensued, finally settling the Durham estates on John, but not recognising him as the legitimate heir to the Strathmore title.

John was educated at Eton and became a very successful businessman who profited from the coal reserves on his land. From 1847 he spent his time between France and England exploring his interest in the arts. It was here he bought a theatre and met the Parisian actress Joséphine Coffin-Chevallier.

Joséphine was born in 1825. She was an actress in the Théatre des Variétés, Paris, owned by John Bowes. Joséphine was a talented amateur painter, who shared John’s love of the arts; she was interested in a range of art forms including paintings, ceramics, furniture and textiles. Once the couple married in 1852 they soon began to develop the idea of creating a world-class museum back in John’s ancestral home of Teesdale in order to introduce the wider world of art to the local people.

The prospect was daunting; nothing had matched the scale, grandeur or location of this colossal proposal in their lifetime. Plans were meticulously scrutinised and painstakingly formed in order to give the North East a truly magnificent edifice, a home suitably fitting for all the precious treasures which would be contained within it.

The Bowes’ enthusiasm was immeasurable as Joséphine laid the foundation stone in 1869. She said: ‘I lay the bottom stone, and you, Mr Bowes, will lay the top stone’. As the building grew, so did their collection and an astounding 15,000 objects were purchased between 1862 and 1874.

Suddenly the project was blighted when Joséphine died in 1874. John’s motivation towards their lifelong achievement took an enormous blow and he virtually ceased collecting. Fortunately the building did continue, but John, like his late wife, never saw its completion. He died in 1885 and never did carry out Joséphine’s wish of laying the top stone.

Despite the death of John and Joséphine, momentum for the project had reached such a scale that it continued under the leadership of Trustees and The Bowes Museum was finally opened to the public on 10th June 1892 and attracted nearly 63,000 visitors in its first year.

John and Joséphine ensured that their Museum was filled with treasures; since collecting has continued since the opening, storage and display space comes at a premium. At every turn you can see important and precious works from all over Europe, and each piece has its own story to tell. However, it is the 240 year-old Silver Swan that is the best-loved object in the Museum. The Silver Swan is an English silver automaton, a unique attraction that was bought by the Bowes in 1872. The life size model is still in working order and is operated at the Museum on a daily basis.

The diverse collection spans three floors of the magnificent building and contains items too numerous to list. Whether it is paintings by Canaletto or Goya, porcelain produced at Sèvres, or marquetry attributed to André-Charles Boulle it can all be found at The Bowes Museum, which has received Designated status from the government in recognition of the outstanding collection.

Visitors to The Bowes Museum today can not only learn of John and Joséphine’s wonderful story and marvel at the fascinating collections but can also enjoy an exciting programme of exhibitions. Activities in the park and a popular café and shop add to the visitor offer at the Museum, making it fit for purpose in the 21st century. The magnificent legacy that John and Joséphine left to the people of Teesdale retains its charm and intrigue yet sympathetic developments have made the attraction a popular, vibrant and exciting day out for all.

www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/en-gb/aboutus/history.aspx

Did your smartphone went swimming? Or you just accidentally dropped it right into the harm’s way? Or enjoyed the rain with your priced possession in your pocket? To be honest this is situation is faced by many smartphone owners once in a while. The smartphone takes a deadly plunge right into water which is followed by freaking out and trying almost anything and everything to bring it back to life.

If your smartphones comes with a removable battery then remove the back panel and take out the battery as soon as you can after taking it out of water. Leaving it switched on can cause it to short circuit. If your smartphone comes with a non-removable battery then shut it down immediately by pressing the power button for 5 seconds to prevent further damage.

Remember in either case do not try to turn it on in any case as short circuit can occur and chances are fair that your phone will not be able to see another light of day. Shutting it down prevents it from short circuiting.

Remember keep it in screen up direction all times whether drying or not. Gravity is a fascinating thing and it will prevent water from reaching your display.

Open you phone up using necessary tools and gently use a dry cloth or paper towel to absorb the water by dabbing on the affected areas. Do not wipe hurriedly as you may spread water and it may do more harm than good. Moisture corrodes the circuit inside your phone so try to take out as much moisture as you can. You can use a vacuum cleaner to suck out the water from all the ports and openings as well as from the circuit board. Vacuum cleaner is the best hep you can get immediately when water is logged in your phone.

Situations often make couples unable to handle their love life Vashikaran Specialist will help to husband wife problem solution with ease and make your life normal again. For more information please visit our website.

astrologerakshaysharma.com/husband-wife-problem-solution/

I lived in the area for about three years and really liked it especially in the summer months but there was one problem in that it became a very active ‘red light area’ at night. I think that things have changed since then.

Huband Bridge was built in 1791.

Named after Joseph Huband, a director of the Grand Canal Company.

The bridge is more interesting than the the other bridges along the Grand Canal because Joseph Huband paid for the bridge out of his own fortune, making it more ornate than those paid for with company funds, many of which were named after other directors of the canal-operating company.

Downtown drug problems

Downtown drug problems

I have been trying to upload an image all day and all I get is this. The same problem has occurred twice more in the last few days.

What is the point of paying for Flickr Pro ???????????????

Surf's up! Nikon D810 Photos Pro Women Surfers Surfing! Surf Girl Goddesses! Sports Photography With New Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens for Nikon!

Nikon D810 Photos Pro Women's Surfing Trestles Sports Photography With New Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens for Nikon D810!

Join my new instagram! instagram.com/45surf

The new Nikon D810 rocks for sports photography! New Instagram!

Nikon D810 Photos Pro Women's Surfing Sports Photography Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD !

I shot in DX mode which crops away the extra pixels and takes me 1.5X closer while allowing for up to 7 FPS with the Nikon D810's Nikon MB-D12 Battery Grip using the 8 AA battery option! 8 Duracells took me through around 3,000 shots no problem--maybe more! I was shooting at the equivalent of 900mm with the 1.5x crop factor! Pretty close! Had I gone with the Nikon D4s, I would have gotten 12 fps, but no DX crop factor, as the sensor has only around 24mp, compared to the d810's 36 megapixels! Sure the larger pixel size on the Nikon D4s full frame sensor comes in handy indoors or at night, but in the bright sun, there's more than enough light for the smaller pixels in crop mode! Sure we lose some pixels from the outer edges when shooting in DX crop mode, but most of those pixels would be cropped away in Lightroom anyway. And the smaller files make the memory cards last longer, while also upping the FPS to 7 shots per second! Not quite 12 FPS, but still awesome and enough I felt!

What a beautiful way to test the Nikon D810 and Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens for sports photography!

Athletic graceful girl goddesses! Tall, thin, fit and in shape! Pro women's surfers form the van's us open wearing both long wetsuits and bikini bottoms with shorty wetsuit tops/summer wetsuits. Sexy, beautiful beach babes and water goddesses all! Many are professional swimsuit bikini / surf lifestyle models too!

45surf photography! :)

instagram.com/45surf

View your artistic mission into photography as an epic odyssey of heroic poetry! Take it from Homer in Homer's Odyssey: "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. " --Samuel Butler Translation of Homer's Odyssey

All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!

sorry for lateness, i had problems with my camera :(

made with freebies ;)

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA