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Huntington Beach, CA
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I've been tagged by Integrité, but like him I've been away since december. My grandfather was very sick and I moved in to take care of him. But now that he's better I hope I'll be able to finally come back.
Fave color? Green.
Biggest dream? I don't know. there are so many.
Lucky/favorite number? Don't have any.
Celeb crush? Michael Fassbender.
Sexuality? I like boys and girls. And I love my wife.
If you could meet anyone on earth, who would it be? Bono. It'd be like meeting God.
Middle name? None.
Believe in love at first sight? Only as far as dolls go. But I couldn't love someone the way I fall for a doll Love is deeper, and it takes time and getting to know each other.
Allergies? Shrimp and weird weather changes.
Addiction? Chocolates, Dolls, Reading, Music, Horror Movies.
Typical weekend? Cozying up with Jo, Going out with friends...
Fave serial killer? Hannibal Lecter. I love his disturbing intelligence.
Birthday? June 16th (Bloomsday!)
Best friend(s): My childhood gang! Especially Yuri.
Milkshakes or yogurt? Yogurt if it's berries, Milkshakes if it's chocolate.
Fave social media site? Flickr and Ipernity.
Current mood? It's the sun after the storm and I LIKE IT!
Age ? 28
Have you ever stolen anything? No. I couldn't possibly do that.
What is your favorite movie? Can't make up my mind about that.
What do you like about yourself? My eyes, my Dracula smile
What is your favorite sport? swimming.
Do you smoke? No
Do you drink? Only the occasional sake and Guinness.
Do you like to play video games? Hell yeah! Stomping Goombas is good for the soul!
How do you feel about tattoos? Love them, but I don't have any (yet)
What is the perfect first date? nothing formal. I'm very shy, so I need to be comfy, or I'll close myself in a shell and stay there.
Have you ever broken a bone? No
If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Right where I am. I love Rio!
What was the name of your favorite toy as a kid? Barbies. Other than that, I love anything that involves running around the whole day!
Do you like cheese? Yes
How big is your dick? I don't have any. My shelves are only for my books and dolls! =P
What’s your favorite TV show? Game Of Thrones and Supernatural.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would it be? Japan and Ireland.
Favorite song? I couldn't give an honest answer to that. But if it's Rock, it's already halfway into my music library.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Doll fashion designer! Brace yourselves, guys! I'm coming! =D LOL
Ten years from now what do you want to be doing? I'll find out when I get there...
Taken by me a few months ago , anyone care to guess the vehicle ID. Not many would have seen this motors interior........(Posted with permission of the owner)
Thanks (I think?) for tagging me, Domenic :)
The pic is from one of my art projects for school while I was working on it back in April. We had to draw ourselves in the style of an artist of our choosing (I chose David Vandervoort, former Bratz illustrator xP)
Now...
184. My middle name is: N/A
183. My great grandma's nickname: ?????
182. I was born in: Boston, MA
181: I am really: Social? x)
180. My cellphone company is: Verizon
179. My eye color is: Brown.
178. My shoe size: Mens 10, lol tiny feet x/
177. My ring size is: I don't know?
176. My height: 5'11" I think
175. I'm allergic to: This one brand of baby shampoo
174. My first job: YouTube Partner? LOL
173. My first car: Not yet!
172. My bed is: Wooden x) Spiderman blanket, as well as a grey and black one for when it's extra cold, random-azz pillows, like one is in a Diva Starz pillow case xD
171. My pet: MY KITTY CAT :333333
170. My best friend: Jason, y'all know him
169. My favorite shampoo: Much love to Gernier Fructis Tousle Me Softly!
168. AIM name: Idk, it was hacked back in 6th or 7th grade :P
167. Piggy banks are: Gettin' money
166. In my pockets: Currently? Nothing :P
165. On my calender: I don't even have one for this year x_x
164. Marriage is: For people who want to get married lol
163. My mom is: Da bombdotcom!
162. The last CDs I bought were: Snap, that was a while ago lol A few months ago, I finally tracked down a physical copy of Lil' Kim's debut, "Hardcore" and I think that was the last.
161. The last video I watched: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS-sGGy6sdA
160. How many cousins I have: Too many.
159. Do you have any siblings? Nope
158. Are your parents divorced? Technically no?
157. Are you taller than yo momma? Yes, a lot lol
156. Do you play instruments? I did saxophone from 5th-8th grade :)
155. What did you do yesterday? (I'm going to pretend yesterday still refers to Saturday) I was at home doing nothing, then I Skyped with Adrianne for a bit, then Jason came over and we hung out, and we were going to go shopping, but his mama wanted him home, so we dropped him off and I went shopping alone =D
~Belive in~
154. Love at first sight? Idk?
153. Luck? Yassss
152. Fate? Mhmmm!
151. Yourself? Absolutely!
150. Aliens? Idk?
149. Heaven? Yesss!
148. Hell? You can't have one without the other :o
147. God? Of course!
146. Horoscopes? Yes, omfg they're always right x_x
145. Soulmates? Idk?
144. Ghosts? Omg yes!!!
115. Six flags or Disney? Disney, lol I hate roller coasters x)
114. Yankees or Red socks? Neither tbh, but I'mma rep my state and say Red Sox
104. eBay: MUCH LOVE
103: Soccer: Annoying
102: Work: Depends on what the work is!
101: Neighbors: Ew
100: Cars: I want something flashy B)
99. Designer Clothing: Always a plus
98. College: You best believe I'm going! Even if I have summer school for Algebra II x_x
97. Sports: Next subject
96. My family: They aight
95. The Future: Hope it's great! :D
~Last time I~
94. Last time I hugged someone: Y'all I'm always hugging someone xD
93. Last time you ate: A few minutes ago :x
92. Saw someone I haven't seen in awhile: Idkkkkkk?
91. Cried in front of someone: I think in 2007 LOL
90: Went to the movies: Too long ago... Almost went today, but all the movies out suck xD
89. Took a vacation: Last summer.
88. Swam in a pool: A few weeks ago
87. Changed diapers: :ssss Not yet!
86. Got your nails done: Never... I bite them a lot tho ;x
85. Went to a wedding: I think either kindergarten or 1st grade
84: Broke a bone: 4th grade :D
83: Got a piercing: Never!
82. Broke a law: 2010 :x
81. Texted: Ugh way too long ago. I haven't checked my phone in weeks :P
~Misc~
80. Who makes you laugh most? My friends!
79. Something I really miss when I leave home: My cat </3
78. The last movie I saw: Scary Movie 3
77. The thing I am looking for most: Bratz :3
76. The thing I am not looking forward to: September
75. People call me: "Black on the inside"(LOL), hilarious, "so sexy", etc.
72.) The most difficult thing to do: Think of the most difficult thing to do xD
73. When getting a speeding ticket: ???
72. My zodiac sign: Aquarius
71. The first person I talked to today: Dad :P
70. First time you had a crush? Pre-school
69. The one person you can't hide anything from: Friends!
68. Last time you said something you were thinking: Today.
67. Right now I'm talking to: Flickr
66. What are you going to be when you grow up? Something real artistic-like. Probably in advertising, where I can write and be more visually artistic too :)
65. I have/will get a job: Soon hopefully :P
64. Tomorrow: hfhfhfhf
63. Today: Cool
62. Next summer: Hopefully really cool!
61. Next week: Probably nothing.
60. I have these pets: Mah cat
59. The worst sound in the world: People chewing and breathing, like omfg, stfu!!!!
58. People who make you cry most: I don't cry much anymore o.O
57. People who make you the mosy happy: Friends!!!
56. The last time you cried: I'm not sure lol I think it was when Desperate Housewives ended LOL I actually hadn't seen any episodes until the last three or so, but y'all that ending was depressing!! Plus it makes me feel ancient, 'cuz I remember when that show came out xD
55. Last movie you cried at: None tbh
54. Your hair color: Brown with blond highlights.
53. TV shows I watch: DEGRASSI, and others.
52. Favorite website: Flickr.
51. Dream Vacation: All over the world y'all
50. The worst pain you were in: Idk?
49. How do you like your steak cooked? Medium-rare! Pink
48. My room is: Hot MESS, stuff literally everywhere.
47. Favorite celebrities: Britney Spears!!! And others.
46. Where would you like to be? LA
45. Do you want kids? When I grow up
44. Ever been in love? I think?
43. Your best friend? Jason
42. More guy friends or girl friends? I'd say it's pretty even :)
41. One thing that makes you feel great is: When I get to do things for MGA ^_^
40. One person you wish you could see right now: No one?
39. One place you'd like to move: CA, NY, Idk
38: I wish I was a personal: Nothing! I don't want to do someone's dirty work! Do your own shopping and fitness training!
~Favorites~
37. Candy: Starburst
36. Vehicle: Idk
35. President: JFK
34. City visited: NYC!.
33. Cellphone provider: LG
32. Athelete: ???
31. Actress: Britney Spears, hellz yes she counts!.
30. Actor: ????
29. Singer: Britney Spears!
27. Clothing store: I shop everywhere lol But I love shopping at H&M and Express
26. Grocery store: Stop & Shop always has the newest AND the oldest toys, even if their markup is ridiculous.
25. TV show: DEGRASSI
24. Movie: Too too too too many!
23. Website: Flickr.
22. Animal: Cats!
21. Theme Park: Disney World is like the only "theme" park I've been to :P
20. Holiday: Christmas!
19. Sport to watch: Extreme Couponing
18. Sport to play: Kickball and badminton!
17. Magazine: Idk?
16. Book: I forget lol
15. Day of the week: In the summer, does it really matter?
14. Beach: The one near my house?
13. Concerts atended: My favorite concert I've been to, was on 3/16/09 and it was the first Boston stop on Brit's Circus tour. We got Toxic VIP seats and went backstage and all dat ish. I knew everything the tour guide was telling us LOL And to make it even better, my class was on a field trip to the Lowell Mills that day, so they all had to make textile pot holders while I partied at a Britney Spears concert ♥ Ironically, when she came back that August, it was probably one of the worst concert experiences, 'cuz my camera was confiscated! But then Kristinia Debarge was chillin' outside the Onyx Hotel across the street where we were getting dinner after, so that was cool. I got some videos of the dancers in front of the hotel goofing off too. Okay, that's actually not bad at all :P *EDIT* Gurl I think this might be asking all the concerts I've been to? In which case, I've seen Britney Spears four times, Hilary Duff, Spice Girls, The Cheetah Girls, HiHi Puffy Ami-Yumi, Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, KISS concert 2007 (Radio station, not band :P), Projekt Revolution 2007, and I think that might be all of them?
12. Thing to cook: Mac & Cheese Bites
11. Food: Pasta of any kind
10. Resturant: Idk.
9. Radio station: KISS 107.9FM
8. Yankee Candle scent: Idk.
7. Cologne: Y'all I'm 16, I wear Axe! x) Phoenix btw
6. Flower: idk
5. Color: anything super bright, especially pink and green!
4. Talk show host: ???
3. Comedians: ???
2. Dog breed: ???
1. Are you happy this is over: No, I live for stuff like this, no joke! ^_^
The Birth of Venus: Sony A7 R RAW Photos of Pretty, Tall Blond Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens & Lightroom 5.3
45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography! & 45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Fine Art! :)
New Instagram! instagram.com/45surf
New Instagram!
instagram.com/johnnyrangermccoy
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty Blonde Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens! Lightroom 5.3 ! Pretty Hazel Eyes & Silky Blonde Hair!
And here're a couple of HD video movies I shot of the goddess with the 4K Sony:
Enjoy! Be sure to watch in the full 1080P HD!
The epic goddess was tall, thin, fit, tan, and in wonderful shape (as you can see).
Follow me on facebook!
www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology
Epic Goddess Straight Out of Hero's Odyssey Mythology! Pretty Model! :) Tall, thin, fit and beautiful!
Welcome to your epic hero's odyssey! The beautiful 45surf goddess sisters hath called ye to adventure, beckoning ye to read deeply Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, whence ye shall learn of yer own exalted artistic path guided by Hero's Odyssey Mythology. I wouldn't be saying it if it hadn't happened to me.
New 500px!
500px.com/herosodysseymythology
Pretty Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! :)
She was a beauty--a gold 45 goddess for sure! A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic journey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue swimsuit. :)
A laid-back,classic, socal lifestyle shoot!
May the 45surf goddesses inspire you along am artistic journey of your own making!
All the best on your Epic, Homeric, Heroic Odyssey into the Art of Photography from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
All 45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography is shot in the honor of Dynamic Dimensions Theory's First Law and equation: The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions at the rate of c: dx4/dt=ic.
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johny Ranger McCoy!
Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty, Tall Blond Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess in Laguna Beach! Victoria Beach! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens & Lightroom 5.3Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty, Tall Blond Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess in Laguna Beach! Victoria Beach! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens & Lightroom 5.3
Fine art swimsuit model, ballerina, and ballet photography!
The Birth of Venus: Sony A7 R RAW Photos of Pretty, Tall Blond Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens & Lightroom 5.3
45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography! & 45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Fine Art! :)
New Instagram! instagram.com/45surf
New Instagram!
instagram.com/johnnyrangermccoy
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty Blonde Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens! Lightroom 5.3 ! Pretty Hazel Eyes & Silky Blonde Hair!
And here're a couple of HD video movies I shot of the goddess with the 4K Sony:
Enjoy! Be sure to watch in the full 1080P HD!
The epic goddess was tall, thin, fit, tan, and in wonderful shape (as you can see).
Follow me on facebook!
www.facebook.com/45surfAchillesOdysseyMythology
Epic Goddess Straight Out of Hero's Odyssey Mythology! Pretty Model! :) Tall, thin, fit and beautiful!
Welcome to your epic hero's odyssey! The beautiful 45surf goddess sisters hath called ye to adventure, beckoning ye to read deeply Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, whence ye shall learn of yer own exalted artistic path guided by Hero's Odyssey Mythology. I wouldn't be saying it if it hadn't happened to me.
New 500px!
500px.com/herosodysseymythology
Pretty Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! :)
She was a beauty--a gold 45 goddess for sure! A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic journey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue swimsuit. :)
A laid-back,classic, socal lifestyle shoot!
May the 45surf goddesses inspire you along am artistic journey of your own making!
All the best on your Epic, Homeric, Heroic Odyssey into the Art of Photography from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
All 45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography is shot in the honor of Dynamic Dimensions Theory's First Law and equation: The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions at the rate of c: dx4/dt=ic.
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johny Ranger McCoy!
Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty, Tall Blond Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess in Laguna Beach! Victoria Beach! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens & Lightroom 5.3Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty, Tall Blond Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess in Laguna Beach! Victoria Beach! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens & Lightroom 5.3
Fine art swimsuit model, ballerina, and ballet photography!
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Nikon D800E Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens!
Epic Goddess Straight Out of Hero's Odyssey Mythology! Pretty Model! :) Tall, thin, fit and beautiful!
Welcome to your epic hero's odyssey! The beautiful 45surf goddess sisters hath called ye to adventure, beckoning ye to read deeply Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, whence ye shall learn of yer own exalted artistic path guided by Hero's Odyssey Mythology. I wouldn't be saying it if it hadn't happened to me.
New 500px!
500px.com/herosodysseymythology
New instagram! instagram.com/45surf
Pretty Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! :)
Follow me on facebook! facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
Nikon D300 Photos of Beautfiul Sexy Hot Brunette!
She was a beauty--a gold 45 goddess for sure! A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic journey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
ALL THE BEST on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue swimsuit. :)
A laid-back,classic, socal lifestyle shoot!
May the 45surf goddesses inspire you along am artistic journey of your own making!
All 45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography is shot in the honor of Truth, Beauty, and the Light of Physicist Dr. E's Moving Dimensions Theory's dx4/dt=ic . The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions at the rate of c. Ergo relativity, time, entropy, and entanglement.
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Pretty! Nikon D800E Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens!
All the best on your Epic, Homeric, Heroic Odyssey into the Art of Photography from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
What Google Gemini says about the Carbon footprint of a wind farm...
My question.....
What is the overall carbon footprint of a wind farm?
The overall carbon footprint of a wind farm, calculated through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), is very low compared to fossil fuel-based electricity generation. Wind power is a low-carbon energy source, as it produces no direct greenhouse gas emissions during operation.
The emissions that do occur are primarily "embodied carbon" from the stages before and after operation:
Manufacturing (The "Hot Spot"): This stage contributes the vast majority (often 90% or more) of the total life cycle emissions. It includes:
Sourcing and processing raw materials like steel, concrete, and composites for the tower, foundation, and blades.
The energy used in the factories to manufacture the components. The energy mix of the manufacturing location significantly affects the final footprint.
Transportation and Installation: Emissions from shipping components globally, transporting them to the site, and the use of heavy machinery (cranes, vessels for offshore wind) for construction. Offshore wind often has a higher footprint here due to more robust foundations and specialized installation.
Operation and Maintenance: This is a minor contribution, mainly from transport for service personnel, and the manufacture of replacement parts and lubricants.
Decommissioning and Recycling: Emissions from dismantling the farm and transporting materials for disposal or recycling. Recycling materials like steel can actually provide an "avoided emissions credit," reducing the overall footprint.
⚡ Key Carbon Intensity Figures
The carbon footprint is typically measured in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent per unit of electricity generated (gCO
2
eq/kWh).
Energy SourceTypical Life Cycle Emissions (gCO
2
eq/kWh)
Onshore Wind10 - 20
Offshore Wind15 - 25
Solar PV40 - 85
Natural Gas (CCGT)400 - 500
Coal900 - 1,100
So I have a question for my friends here that work for CSXT and run across the Berkshire and Boston Subs? Does the Castleton Bridge have a special instruction restriction limiting it to only one train at a time despite being double tracked?
The last few times I've personally observed meets here they've happened like this in the photo. CSXT train I019 (Worcester to Bedford Park, IL intermodal) is crossing the Hudson River on Main 4 of CSXT's Castleton Sub while at the far west end of the bridge holding at the signal at MP QG9.1 on Main 3 is train M426 (Selkirk to Rigby manifest).
So why didn't or couldn't they have pulled east to CP SM at MP QG9.5 to wait for I019 to clear the single track at the end of the Berkshire Sub instead of holding back off the structure until they'd cleared?
The massive double tracked Alfred H. Smith Bridge is in total 5255 ft long and 139 feet above the Hudson River below. In 1921 a contract for the main grading and drainage work and for all the actual bridge construction except its steel superstructure was awarded to Walsh Construction Company, a well-established Iowa-based railroad builder that would later go on (in 22 joint venture with others) to build the Grand Coulee Dam and, still later, to achieve national prominence as a builder of urban skyscrapers. The 23,000 tons of structural steel required for the bridge would be fabricated in Pittsburgh and erected by Bethlehem Steel's McClintic Marshall subsid- iary under a direct contract with the railroad. Physical work began in early 1922 and two years later on November 20, 1924 the first train crossed the bridge. It was named in honor of Alfred Holland Smith, the president of the New York Central Railroad who authorized the construction of this bridge as part of an extensive project known as the Castleton Cut-Off. He died in a horse-riding accident in Central Park in 1924, only a few months before completion of the bridge. He is sometimes confused with Alfred E. Smith, New York's governor at the time who was aboard that first train and christened the structure in honor of the other fallen Mr. Smith.
This bridge is now the southernmost place a freight train can cross the Hudson River (excepting NYNJ's barge service) and is used by all CSXT traffic heading into New England via the old B&A as well as any traffic direct to New York City via the historic NYC Main, now Amtrak and Metro North's Hudson Line and on a typical day 18 to 20 trains will cross. The parallel structure beyond is Castleton-on-Hudson bridge opened in 1959 to carry the New York State Thruway's Berkshire extension connection to the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Schodack, New York
Saturday October 26, 2024
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA Symbol question.svg Pícea común
Kuusk Keila-Paldiski rdt ääres.jpg
Pícea de Noruega
Estado de conservación
Preocupación menor (LC)
Preocupación menor (UICN 3.1)1
Taxonomía
Reino:Plantae
División:Pinophyta
Orden:Pinales
Familia:Pinaceae
Subfamilia:Piceoideae
Género:Picea
Especie:Picea abies
(L.) H.Karst. 1881
Distribución
Distribución de abeto rojo. : ✖ Distribución natural. : ▲ Introducido y naturalizado.
Distribución de abeto rojo.
✖ Distribución natural.
▲ Introducido y naturalizado.
[editar datos en Wikidata]
Picea abies, la pícea común, pícea de Noruega o pícea europea, es una conífera de la familia de las pináceas. Aunque en ocasiones se le identifica popularmente como abeto, y más concretamente como abeto rojo, estrictamente hablando no es un abeto, por no pertenecer al género Abies, el de los abetos; razón por la que también se le conoce como falso abeto.
Gentlemen — A Question — What is your very lovely lady back home doing right now? Why Ask? Because an hour ago she went on Facebook and Flickr and Twitter to comment on your latest photo & video postings. So you know exactly what your woman is doing this morning — she’s monitoring your social media posts. 😏
Here’s another thought — Is it possible that your very lovely lady has spent the last 28 years ‘Living Las Vegas’ and ‘Leaving Las Vegas’ far better than you? She knows pretty much everything you know because she’s known you for 28 years and because she’s spent the last 15+ months of the Coronavirus Global Pandemic monitoring your last three Las Vegas trips. And so from the safety and comfort of her suburban back yard lounger, she has monitored on her handy 🍎 iPad your desperate attempts at ‘Living Las Vegas’ Coronavirus Style. 🤔
Gents — How many times over the course of 28 years of ‘Loving/Living/Leaving Las Vegas’ did your very lovely lady spent her entire departure day laying out at the hotel cabana swimming pool sun bathing while you, on the other hand, spent your entire day out in the hot desert sun on Flickr camera safari?!?! The last time you and your woman ventured to the Vegas Strip together, y’all didn’t see each other on departure day until you brought down her luggage to the hotel’s shuttle station for the 5pm shuttle to the airport. 😎
So now that your wonderful seven day Vegas Vacation has come down to its last bittersweet four hours — what is your plan to slow down time and makes those last four hours last forever? 🤔 Perhaps you should stroll on over to the ABSINTHE box office at Caesars Palace to purchase a pair of close up theatre seats for your August visit — Hopefully next time in the cozy company of your very lovely lady! 😃
Hey Flickr friends,
My DH and myself seem to have a difference in opinions. I was wondering if you would be able to help me out?? See I spend HOURS on my babies (cakes) and love to take pictures of them. I'm proud of my talents and love to display them. My DH thinks that I should only post one picture, or two at the most of my cakes and the details I add. I, on the other hand love to show all the little details and showing them up close so you all may enjoy and appreciate them. But I wonder if it detours others from browsing my photo stream?? My DH says that viewers may get board and move on quickly. So what I'm asking is please give me your honest opinion. What do you think is the appropriate amount of pictures I should upload for each cake...lol ; )
Thanks friends!!
-Andrea
So the builds done I just don't have the story or very good lighting atm :P
Build is inspired by Color www.flickr.com/photos/ironbricks/6370626235/in/set-721576...
(NOTE The entire build is not shown in the picture above)
Anyway Have anybody else here that has successfully cut and applied Lego stickers to clone troopers and had problems with them staying on? They always slide around and come off is there a special way of putting them on that prevents this from happening?
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Nikon D800E Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens!
Epic Goddess Straight Out of Hero's Odyssey Mythology! Pretty Model! :) Tall, thin, fit and beautiful!
Welcome to your epic hero's odyssey! The beautiful 45surf goddess sisters hath called ye to adventure, beckoning ye to read deeply Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, whence ye shall learn of yer own exalted artistic path guided by Hero's Odyssey Mythology. I wouldn't be saying it if it hadn't happened to me.
New 500px!
500px.com/herosodysseymythology
New instagram! instagram.com/45surf
Pretty Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! :)
Follow me on facebook! facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
Nikon D300 Photos of Beautfiul Sexy Hot Brunette!
She was a beauty--a gold 45 goddess for sure! A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic journey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
ALL THE BEST on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue swimsuit. :)
A laid-back,classic, socal lifestyle shoot!
May the 45surf goddesses inspire you along am artistic journey of your own making!
All 45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography is shot in the honor of Truth, Beauty, and the Light of Physicist Dr. E's Moving Dimensions Theory's dx4/dt=ic . The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions at the rate of c. Ergo relativity, time, entropy, and entanglement.
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Pretty! Nikon D800E Beautiful Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens!
1. How are you? Fabulous as always.
2. What are you up to or what are your plans? I plan to twerk.
3. What are you wearing? Clothes.
4. When's your birthday? August 12th bitchess.
5. What do you want for Christmas or for your birthday? I want money and dolls.
6. What kind of music do you listen to? All kinds.
7. If someone budged you while walking, what would you do? Say, "Excuse you hoe".
8. What's your favorite food? BACON!!!!
9. Are you against racism? Yes
10. Are you gay or straight? Bi.
Gender question.
11. For boys: What do you like in a girl? Uhm, nice and funny, and attractive.
For girls: What do you like in a boy? I'm not a girl, but I'mma answer. I like sweet guys, funny, and attractive.
12. Do you have a phone? If yes, than what one? If no, what kind of phone do wish to have or do you even want one? I have one, but I want an iPhone.
13. If you are under 18 like me, do you wish to have tattoos? If you're over 18, then do you have any tattoos? I want like 5 tattoos.
14. Where are you from? California, born and raised homie G.
15. Ever heard of Vine? Yomp.
16. Do you have a fav TV show? Probably Catfish, or RuPaul's Drag Race, or liek Adventure Time, and probably Honey Boo Boo.
15. Favorite song atm? Voodoo Pussy - Miss Prada
16. Do you have a pop icon or a fav artist? Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, Kerli, and Nicki Minaj.
17. Have you heard of the duo called Disclosure? Nope. Soz.
18. Do you have any parents that know how to use technology properly? My mom uses her computer, but I teach her how to use Facebook n shit.
19. What got you into photography? My mom took photos all my life, so I wanted to do it too. And I started Flickr, because of one of my friends 40LIBS, who is still absolutely fab.
20. And finally, I would LOVE to meet you. Do you feel the same? Hells yeah. I'd meet anyone on Flickr that I consider a friend c:
We were with my daughter Margarita in a bar, for an afternoon snack. At one point her face lit up with a glow. A sunlight carom. "What a beautiful light!", I said. As I reached for the camera in my bag, the 12-year-old photography lover asked me, "When you say 'what a beautiful light', how do you realize it? What do you see?"
.
Shot with my very first camera and lens, from the 1990s:
Canon EOS 5 + Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II + Kodak Vision 3 500T.
Montreal (Qc) CANADA - July 14 2010 Pamela Anderson answer question from Montreal's media about her PETA ad.
exclusive for www.wireimage.com
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty Brunette Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens! Lightroom 5.3 ! Pretty Hazel Eyes & Silky Brown / Black Hair!
And here're a couple of HD video movies I shot of the goddess with the 4K Sony:
Enjoy! Be sure to watch in the full 1080P HD!
The epic goddess was tall, thin, fit, tan, and in wonderful shape (as you can see).
Check out my greatest hits compilation, and let me know what you think:
www.elliotmcguckenphotography.com/45surf/45SURF-Heros-Ody...
Epic Goddess Straight Out of Hero's Odyssey Mythology! Pretty Model! :) Tall, thin, fit and beautiful!
Welcome to your epic hero's odyssey! The beautiful 45surf goddess sisters hath called ye to adventure, beckoning ye to read deeply Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, whence ye shall learn of yer own exalted artistic path guided by Hero's Odyssey Mythology. I wouldn't be saying it if it hadn't happened to me.
New 500px!
500px.com/herosodysseymythology
New instagram! instagram.com/45surf
Pretty Swimsuit Bikini Model Goddess! :)
Follow me on facebook! facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
Nikon D300 Photos of Beautfiul Sexy Hot Brunette!
She was a beauty--a gold 45 goddess for sure! A Gold 45 Goddess exalts the archetypal form of Athena--the Greek Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, heroic endeavour, handicrafts and reason. A Gold 45 Goddess guards the beauty of dx4/dt=ic and embodies 45SURF's motto "Virtus, Honoris, et Actio Pro Veritas, Amor, et Bellus, (Strength, Honor, and Action for Truth, Love, and Beauty," and she stands ready to inspire and guide you along your epic, heroic journey into art and mythology. It is Athena who descends to call Telemachus to Adventure in the first book of Homer's Odyssey--to man up, find news of his true father Odysseus, and rid his home of the false suitors, and too, it is Athena who descends in the first book of Homer's Iliad, to calm the Rage of Achilles who is about to draw his sword so as to slay his commander who just seized Achilles' prize, thusly robbing Achilles of his Honor--the higher prize Achilles fought for. And now Athena descends once again, assuming the form of a Gold 45 Goddess, to inspire you along your epic journey of heroic endeavour.
ALL THE BEST on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Modeling the Gold 45 Revolver Gold'N'Virtue swimsuit. :)
A laid-back,classic, socal lifestyle shoot!
May the 45surf goddesses inspire you along am artistic journey of your own making!
All 45surf Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography is shot in the honor of Truth, Beauty, and the Light of Physicist Dr. E's Moving Dimensions Theory's dx4/dt=ic . The fourth dimension is expanding relative to the three spatial dimensions at the rate of c. Ergo relativity, time, entropy, and entanglement.
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Ask me any questions! :)
Sony A7R RAW Photos of Pretty Brunette Bikini Swimsuit Model Goddess! Carl Zeiss Sony FE 55mm F1.8 ZA Sonnar T* Lens! Lightroom 5.3 ! Pretty Hazel Eyes & Silky Brown Black Hair!
All the best on your Epic, Homeric, Heroic Odyssey into the Art of Photography from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
You can't see it well in this photo, but her left arm is in a cast. Halfway through the crosswalk, she put down the skateboard and skated away, bare feet pushing madly on the asphalt.
Cavendish Mews is a smart set of flats in Mayfair where flapper and modern woman, the Honourable Lettice Chetwynd has set up home after coming of age and gaining her allowance. To supplement her already generous allowance, and to break away from dependence upon her family, Lettice has established herself as a society interior designer, so her flat is decorated with a mixture of elegant antique Georgian pieces and modern Art Deco furnishings, using it as a showroom for what she can offer to her well heeled clients.
Today however we are northwest of Lettice’s flat, in the working-class London suburb of Harlesden visiting the home of Edith’s, Lettice’s maid, beloved parents. Edith’s father, George, works at the McVitie and Price biscuit factory in Harlesden as a Line Manager, and her mother, Ada, takes in laundry at home. They live in a small, two storey brick terrace house which opens out directly onto the street, and is far removed from the grandeur of Lettice’s Mayfair flat, but has always been a cosy and welcoming home for Edith and her younger brother Bert all their young lives. Since her father’s promotion in 1922, Edith’s mother is only laundering a few days a week now. The money she makes from this endeavour she uses for housekeeping to make she and George’s life a little more comfortable, but she is able to hold back a little back as pin money* to indulge in one of her joys, collecting pretty china ornaments to decorate their home with.
We are in Ada’s front parlour, which is where most of her decorative porcelain finds from different shops, fairs and flea markets around London are proudly displayed. With busy stylised floral wallpaper and every surface cluttered with ornaments, it can only be described as highly Victorian in style, and it is an example of conscious consumption, rather than qualitative consumption, to demonstrate how prosperous the Watsford family is, especially now that George holds the management position that he does. Like many others of its kind in Harlesden and elsewhere in London, it is the room least used in the house, reserved for when special guests like the parish minister or wealthy old widow and the Watsford’s landlady, Mrs. Hounslow, pay a call. However today’s special guest is not either the minister, nor Mrs. Hounslow. It is Frank Leadbetter, Edith’s beau, who has arranged to visit Edith’s parents on his own, as he has a very important question to ask of them both.
Dressed in his Sunday best suit, Frank sits awkwardly in one of two Victorian high backed barley twist chairs. The combination of the formality of his suit and the hard and uncomfortable horsehair upholstery of the chair encourage Frank to sit with a ramrod stiff back in his seat. He looks awkwardly around the room, allowing his gaze to flit in a desultory fashion around the unfamiliar surrounds of the Watsford’s formal front parlour. Cluttering the surface of an old Victorian sideboard and an ornate whatnot, the cold stares of Queen Victoria, Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and the current King George V and Queen Mary stare out from the glazed surfaces of plates and other objects celebrating coronations and jubilees, whilst on the mantle, flanked by pretty statues of castles and churches, younger versions of George and Ada in sepia pose formally with Edith as a little girl and Bert as a baby, gazing out from brass frames with blank stares. Frank coughs awkwardly and nervously tugs at his stiff collar, feeling hot even though there is no fire going in the small grate of the fireplace.
“Now, now, young Frank!” George booms good naturedly from the one comfortable seat in the room, an old armchair with thick red velvet button back** upholstery. “No need to be nervous, me lad!”
“Oh, you don’t know why I’m here, Mr. Watsford.” Frank replies, running his right index finger nervously around the inside of his collar.
George chuckles. “I think I can guess, Frank.”
Frank gazes down at Ada’s dainty best blue floral china tea set on the lace draped octagonal table set between the cluster of chairs. A selection of McVitie’s*** biscuits brought home by George from the nearby factory sit in a fluted glass dish.
“Will Mrs. Watsford be long, do you think, Mr. Watsford?”
“I shouldn’t think so, Frank. She’s only gone to boil the kettle and fill the pot.”
As if knowing that she was being spoken about, Ada sweeps through the door of the parlour, holding aloft the glazed teapot in the shape of a cottage with a thatched roof with the chimney as the lid that Edith bought for her as a gift from the Caledonian Markets****. “Here we are then,” she says with a heightened level of exuberance. “Tea for three!” She carefully places the teapot in the centre of the tea table.
“Perfect timing, Ada love.” George replies, and without waiting, reaches across the void between him and the tea table and snatches up a biscuit.
“George!” she chides. “Where are your manners?” She looks askance at her husband, who settles back in his seat, quite unperturbed by his wife’s scolding. “Guests first.” She sweeps her hand across the table towards the biscuits as she lowers herself precariously onto the edge of the other high backed barley twist chair. “Frank?”
“Err… umm…” Frank stutters. “Ahh, no… no thank you, Mrs. Watsford. I… I’m not hungry.”
“Oh well, more for us then, Ada love.” George says cheerfully through a biscuit filled mouth, stretching out his hand to the glass dish again.
“George!” Ada cries, slapping her husband’s hand sharply, the sound echoing around the cluttered parlour.
George retreats in his seat, recoiling and rubbing his chastised hand rather like a dog nurses a limp paw.
“Shall I be mother then*****?” Ada asks rhetorically as she automatically picks up the milk jug. “You take milk, don’t you Frank?”
“Err… yes, Mrs. Watsford.” Frank replies as she slops some milk into his cup before adding a dash to her husband’s and her own.
“And sugar?”
“Err.. two please, Mrs. Watsford.”
“Ahh, a sweet tooth after my own heart.” Ada replies with an indulgent smile, putting two heaped teaspoons of sugar into Frank’s cup before adding one to George’s and two to her own. “Now!” she sighs, taking up the cottage ware teapot pouring tea into the cups. “You wanted to talk to us, Frank?”
“Well…” Frank begins.
“You know it feels jolly funny having you here Frank, but not Edith.” Ada interrupts the young man even as he begins. “I’m quite used to you coming with Edith now.”
“Well, you know… I… I really wanted this to be a conversation that I had alone with you and Mr. Watsford,” Frank indicates to George, still licking his wounds. “Mrs. Watsford. So, I asked Hilda to take Edith out shopping today.”
“And she isn’t missing you, Frank?” Ada queries, as she replaces the pot in the middle of the tea table.
“Err…” Frank blushers, heaving and puffing his cheeks out. “Well, I told Edith a bit of a tall tale. I said that I had to help Giuseppe, my chum with his restaurant in the Islington****** today.”
“Oh yes,” Ada remarks with a tone of distaste as she hands George his cup of tea. “Giuseppe. He was your Italian friend who gave you the wine that we shared that first time we met, wasn’t he?”
Frank blushes red at the painful memory of that first rather awkward Sunday luncheon he had at the Watsfords’ when he and Ada had had a disagreement about some of his beliefs about life. “Yes.”
“My, my.” Ada takes up her own cup of tea and cradles it in her lap as she smiles to herself. “Such subterfuge to be alone with us.”
“You might not enjoy poor Frank’s discomfort quite so readily, Ada.” George pipes up from his seat as he sips his tea, tempering his wife.
“I was merely asking a question, George love.” Ada replies with a smug smile.
“No you weren’t, and you know it.” George retorts. “You were bringing up difficult memories of that awkward first tea we all had together, when you know perfectly well that we have all come a long way from there.” He gives his wife a doleful look. “Stop raking over old coals that don’t need to be raked over.”
“I agree, George.” Ada replies calmly. “We have come a long way; however, I was merely reminding Frank that in spite of that, we still have some concerns about his philosophies about life.”
“You have concerns, Ada love. I don’t.”
“Well one of us has to, if Frank has come here asking for Edith’s hand.” Ada turns her attentions to their young guest. “That is why you are here, isn’t it, Frank?”
“Well… I…” Frank stammers.
“Of course it is, Ada love. Frank?” George asks, sitting up in his seat.
“Well yes, Mr. Watsford. That’s what I came for. I came to formally ask for Edith’s hand in marriage.”
George leaps from his seat, dropping his half drunk cup of tea into the tea table noisily, sloshing tea into the saucer in his haste, before he bustles around the small black japanned cane table on which a vase of flowers stands before patting Frank on the back. “Of course! Of course! We’d be delighted, wouldn’t we Ada?” He turns and beams at his wife before turning quickly back to Frank without waiting for a reply. “What took you so long, Frank my boy?”
“Well Mr. Watsford, I know Edith and I have been stepping out for a while now,” Frank explains, sighing with relief and smiling at George’s exuberant acceptance of his request for Edith’s hand. “But I wanted to have a few things in place before I asked you.”
“Jolly good! Jolly good!” George chuckles delightedly. “Have you got a ring yet?”
“I’m not quite there yet, Mr. Watsford, but I’m getting there. I… I also wanted to assure you that my intentions are genuine. I… I love Edith and I don’t want anyone else.”
“Well, of course you don’t, lad!” George puffs, rubbing the young man’s right shoulder comfortingly. “We knew the moment we saw you together, that you two were made for each other, didn’t we Ada?”
Ada doesn’t reply immediately.
“Oh, this is wonderful, Frank!” George shakes Frank’s hands, barely able to contain his joy. “Welcome to the family!”
“Now just hang on for a moment.” Ada’s voice cuts in, slicing the joy with its sharp edge. “Let’s not rush into this without a few clarifying things first.”
“What?” George asks. He snorts preposterously. “Whatever do mean, Ada love? Frank’s just said his intentions are good. I don’t need anything more than that.”
“Well I do.” Ada replies calmly.
“What… what is… is it, Mrs. Watsford?” Frank asks, his voice quavering with nerves.
“Now, if you’d both just sit down for a moment,” Ada says, replacing her cup on the table, indicating for the two men to resume their seats.
Deflated, both Frank and George return to their respective seats.
“Now, Frank,” Ada starts, leaning forward in her seat. “I would just like to say that in principle, I am as pleased as my husband is that you’re asking for Edith’s hand in marriage.”
“Then Ada…?” George begins, but his wife silences him by holding up the palm of her hand to him.
She goes on. “I’d already had words with Edith about the two of you eloping.”
“Oh I’d never do that to you, Mr. Watsford or my Gran, Mrs. Watsford.” Frank assures her, looking earnestly into her unreadable face.
“Yes, I’m glad to hear it, as it confirms what Edith said, which was the same as you.” Ada turns to her husband. “Prospects?”
George looks quizzically at his wife. “Prospects?”
“Yes, prospects!” Ada’s eyes grow wide as she looks knowingly at him. She lowers her voice and whispers, “Remember, we discussed this?” When he looks uncomprehendingly at her again, she adds in a hiss, “When I said you’d go all doolally******* over Frank’s proposal, which you have?”
“Oh!” George pipes up. “Oh yes!” He sits up in his seat and turns to Frank. “Now young man, Both you and Edith have told us that you’re trying to improve your lot in life.” Ada scoffs from her seat. Ignoring her, he asks, “What are your prospects for Edith, once you’re married?”
“Well, it is true that I am trying to improve my circumstances. It’s one of the reasons why I have held off asking for Ediths hand until now. Like I said, I wanted to get a few things in place before I did.”
“Such as?” George’s bushy eyebrow arches over his right eye as he asks.
“Well, as you both know, I’ve been doing extra duties at Mr. Willison’s to build up my skills. I don’t want to be a delivery boy all my life.”
“No of course not, lad!” George pipes up.
“George!” Ada exclaims. “Let the boy finish. I want to hear what he has to say, not you.”
“Err… no, of course not.” George blusters. “Go on, Frank.”
“Well, I’ve been doing a bit of window dressing and arranging of products for Mr. Willison. I’ve also been taking a correspondence course on bookkeeping, which Edith doesn’t know about.”
“Why not?” Ada snaps.
“Because I wanted to complete it first and show that I’ve applied the skills before I told her: rather like a surprise, Mrs. Watsford.”
“Alright Frank.” Ada softens. “And have you?”
“Well, it’s a bit hard to get Mrs. Willison to relinquish anything about the shop’s books, but I did manage to do a bit of bookkeeping earlier this month when she was poorly and in bed. Technically she gave the task to her daughter, Miss Henrietta, but she wanted to do other things in her spare time, so it was reasonably easy to convince her to give it over to me to do, and Mrs. Willison did admit that I did a good job of it.”
“Well that’s something, isn’t it Ada?”
Ada nods in agreement with her husband, but keeps looking at Frank with an observant stare.
Frank continues. “And I’ve been tapped on the shoulder by friends of mine who are part of a trades union.” An uncomfortable look begins to cloud Ada’s features at the mention of unions. “And they tell me that soon there might be an opening or two in one of the suburban grocers for an assistant manager position, which would lead eventually to a position where I’d be running my own corner grocer.”
“In Metroland********?” George splutters. “My daughter all the way out there?”
“It’s not so bad, Mr. Watsford. The Chalk Hill, Grange and Cedars Estates are all built along the railway line not too far from Wembley Park, so Edith would be able to visit you easily, and you’d be able to come and visit us too. We’d live in a nice little flat above the shop with indoor plumbing and all electrified.” Ada tuts at the mention of electricity, but Frank continues to paint a vision of his and Edith’s rosy future. “The children we have, your grandchildren can grow up attending local schools and getting lots of fresh air.”
“Well, since you put it like that, I guess it’s not so bad, is it Ada?”
“Well,” Ada purses her lips. “I’m sure that Edith has told you that I hold no faith in that newfangled electricity, but living in Cavendish Mews she seems to have become a convert.”
“And a lovely new estate is far healthier for any children that we have, Mrs. Watsford. It’s far better than living in a house in Clapham Junction.”
“And how much will this flat of yours cost?” Ada asks seriously.
“Around five shillings a week for a two-up two down******** semi********* in the Chalk Hill Estate, Mrs. Watsford.” Frank says, gaining strength in his convictions, filling his voice with a new boldness and surety. “And, if we were to live in a flat above the grocers’ shop, it would be even less, and we’d still have all the modern conveniences like hot and cold running water and an inside privy.”
“Nothing wrong with an outdoor privy.” remarks George.
“Nothing wrong with an indoor one, either, Mr. Watsford. I only the best for Edith and our children.”
“Alright, young Frank.” George backs down.
“Now, going back to what I had eluded to before, Frank,” Ada continues. “You’re a good lad, Frank Leadbetter, and I can see that by your thoughtfulness and your manners. I know you love our Edith, and you obviously treat her very well…”
“As she deserves, Mrs. Watsford.” Frank assures her.
“I know, Frank.” Ada tempers him. “However, the vehemence with which you spurn your new ideas around is still a bit frightening to me.”
“Oh, there’s nothing to be frightened of Mrs. Watsford.”
“But these labour unions of yours…” Ada’s voice trails off.
“I can assure you, Mrs. Watsford, the unions aren’t bad, and I am not a Communist.” Frank defends himself. “As I said just before, I only want the best for Edith and for the family I hope we will have together. I just want a better world for all of us, and the unions will help with that. However, I swear that I’m not associated with any of those militant factions that popped up after the Russian Revolution. I believe in peaceable actions, discussion and compromise.” Frank looks earnestly at Ada. “I would never put Edith in any danger. I’m a hard working man who just wants a good future. Some of the finer details of it may be different to yours and Mr. Watsford’s, Mrs. Watsford, but at the end of the day, our ideals are the same, and whatever I do, Edith and her wellbeing is central in everything I do, and everything I have planned.”
Ada sighs and smiles. “Alright Frank. So long as she is, I can only give you my blessing too.”
“Oh thank you, Mrs. Watsford!” Frank exclaims, standing up and walking over to Ada who rises from her seat and embraces Frank kindly.
“Good lad!” George says, standing up as well and beaming over his wife’s shoulder, winking at Frank.
He reaches down and snatches up two more biscuits from the fluted glass bowl on the tea table.
“George!” Ada scolds, not quick enough to catch him this time.
He smiles back at her gormlessly.
“At this rate I’m going to have to let out that vest of yours, George Wastford!” Ada remarks.
George turns to Frank. “Are you sure you want the joy of these moments of wedded bliss, Frank my boy?” he asks jokingly.
*Originating in Seventeenth Century England, the term pin money first meant “an allowance of money given by a husband to his wife for her personal expenditures. Married women, who typically lacked other sources of spending money, tended to view an allowance as something quite desirable. By the Twentieth Century, the term had come to mean a small sum of money, whether an allowance or earned, for spending on inessentials, separate and in addition to the housekeeping money a wife might have to spend.
**Button back upholstered furniture contains buttons embedded in the back of the sofa or chair, which are pulled tightly against the leather creating a shallow dimple effect. This is sometimes known as button tufting.
***McVitie's (Originally McVitie and Price) is a British snack food brand owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie and Price, Ltd., established in 1830 on Rose Street in Edinburgh, Scotland. The company moved to various sites in the city before completing the St. Andrews Biscuit Works factory on Robertson Avenue in the Gorgie district in 1888. The company also established one in Glasgow and two large manufacturing plants south of the border, in Heaton Chapel, Stockport, and Harlesden, London (where Edith’s father works). McVitie and Price's first major biscuit was the McVitie's Digestive, created in 1892 by a new young employee at the company named Alexander Grant, who later became the managing director of the company. The biscuit was given its name because it was thought that its high baking soda content served as an aid to food digestion. The McVitie's Chocolate Homewheat Digestive was created in 1925. Although not their core operation, McVitie's were commissioned in 1893 to create a wedding cake for the royal wedding between the Duke of York and Princess Mary, who subsequently became King George V and Queen Mary. This cake was over two metres high and cost one hundred and forty guineas. It was viewed by 14,000 and was a wonderful publicity for the company. They received many commissions for royal wedding cakes and christening cakes, including the wedding cake for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip and Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Under United Biscuits McVitie's holds a Royal Warrant from Queen Elizabeth II.
****The original Caledonian Market, renown for antiques, buried treasure and junk, was situated in in a wide cobblestoned area just off the Caledonian Road in Islington in 1921 when this story is set. Opened in 1855 by Prince Albert, and originally called the Metropolitan Meat Markets, it was supplementary to the Smithfield Meat Market. Arranged in a rectangle, the market was dominated by a forty six metre central clock tower. By the early Twentieth Century, with the diminishing trade in live animals, a bric-a-brac market developed and flourished there until after the Second World War when it moved to Bermondsey, south of the Thames, where it flourishes today. The Islington site was developed in 1967 into the Market Estate and an open green space called Caledonian Park. All that remains of the original Caledonian Markets is the wonderful Victorian clock tower.
*****The meaning of the very British term “shall I be mother” is “shall I pour the tea?”
******The Italian quarter of London, known commonly today as “Little Italy” is an Italian ethnic enclave in London. Little Italy’s core historical borders are usually placed at Clerkenwell Road, Farringdon Road and Rosebery Avenue - the Saffron Hill area of Clerkenwell. Clerkenwell spans Camden Borough and Islington Borough. Saffron Hill and St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church fall within the Camden side. However, even though this was the traditional enclave for Italians, immigrants moved elsewhere in London, bleeding into areas like Islington and Soho where they established bars, cafes and restaurants which sold Italian cuisine and wines.
*******Doolally is British and Irish slang for a person who is eccentric or has gone mad. It originated in the military.
*******Metroland is a name given to the suburban areas that were built to the north-west of London in the counties of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Middlesex in the early part of the Twentieth Century that were served by the Metropolitan Railway. The railway company was in the privileged position of being allowed to retain surplus land; from 1919 this was developed for housing by the nominally independent Metropolitan Railway Country Estates Limited (MRCE). The term "Metroland" was coined by the Met's marketing department in 1915 when the Guide to the Extension Line became the Metro-land guide. It promoted a dream of a modern home in beautiful countryside with a fast railway service to central London until the Met was absorbed into the London Passenger Transport Board in 1933.
********Two-up two-down is a type of small house with two rooms on the ground floor and two bedrooms upstairs. There are many types of terraced houses in the United Kingdom, and these are among the most modest. The first two-up two-down terraces were built in the 1870s, but the concept of them made up the backbone of the Metroland suburban expansions of the 1920s with streets lined with rows of two-up two-down semi-detached houses in Mock Tudor, Jacobethan, Arts and Crafts and inter-war Art Deco styles bastardised from the aesthetic styles created by the likes of English Arts and Crafts Movement designers like William Morris and Charles Voysey.
*********A semi-detached house (known more commonly simply as a semi) is a house joined to another house on one side only by a common wall.
This cluttered and old fashioned, yet cosy front parlour may look realistic to you, however it is in fact made up of pieces from my 1:12 miniatures collection, including pieces from my childhood.
You may think that by 1926 when this story is set, that homes would have been more modern and less Victorian, and many were. However, there were a lot of people during this era who grew up and established their homes during the reign of Queen Victoria and did not want to update their homes, or could not afford to do so, so an interior like this would not have been uncommon in the 1920s and even in the lead up to and during the Second World War.
Fun things to look for in this tableau include:
The old fashioned high backed Victorian chairs with their barley twist detailing and brass casters were made by Town Hall Miniatures
Ada’s collection of commemorative plates of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, the Coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1902 and the Coronation of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911 on the sideboard and the whatnot are all made by the British miniature artist Rachel Munday. The plate of Edward VIII on the far left is a piece of souvenir ware from around 1905 and is made of very finely pressed tin.
The bust of Queen Victoria was made by Warwick Miniatures in Ireland, who are well known for the quality and detail applied to their pieces. It has been hand painted by me.
The Victorian Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) vase in the centre of the fireplace has been hand made, painted and gilded by Welsh miniature ceramist Rachel Williams who has her own studio, V&R Miniatures, in Powys.
The Watsford family photos on the mantlepiece are all real photos, produced to high standards in 1:12 size on photographic paper by Little Things Dollhouse Miniatures in Lancashire. The frames are from various suppliers, but all are metal.
The church and castle statues at either end of the fireplace are made of resin and are hand painted. They came from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop in the United Kingdom.
Sitting on the central pedestal table is the cottage ware teapot Edith gave her mother as a gift a few years ago. Made by French ceramicist and miniature artisan Valerie Casson, it has been decorated authentically and matches in perfect detail its life-size Price Washington ‘Ye Olde Cottage Teapot’ counterparts. The top part of the thatched rood and central chimney form the lid, just like the real thing. Valerie Casson is renown for her meticulously crafted and painted miniature ceramics.
Also on the table, the glass dish of biscuits is an artisan piece. The bowl is made from real glass with the biscuits attached and hand painted. It came from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering. The teacups, milk jug and sugar bowl also come from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop.
Ada’s wicker sewing basket, sitting closed to show off its pretty florally decorated top, has knitting needles sticking out of it. The basket was hand made by Mrs. Denton of Muffin Lodge in the United Kingdom.
The fireplace, the whatnot, the central pedestal table, the embroidered footstool by the fireplace, the brass fire irons and the ornate black japanned cane table on which Ada’s sewing box stand also came from Kathleen Knight’s Dolls’ House Shop.
The sideboard is a piece I bought as part of a larger drawing room suite of dolls house furniture from a department store when I was a teenager.
The collection of floral vases on the bottom two tiers of the whatnot came from an online stockist of miniatures on E-Bay.
The vase of flowers are all beautifully made by hand by the Doll House Emporium and inserted into a real, hand blown glass vase.
The little white vase in the forefront of the photo is mid Victorian and would once have been part of a tiny doll’s tea service. It is Parian Ware. Parian Ware is a type of biscuit porcelain imitating marble. It was developed around 1845 by the Staffordshire pottery manufacturer Mintons, and named after Paros, the Greek island renowned for its fine-textured, white Parian marble, used since antiquity for sculpture. I have had it since I was about ten years old.
The ‘home sweet home’ embroidery and the painting on the wall come from online shops who sell dollhouse miniatures, as does the Art Nouveau vase on the left hand side of the picture.
New York (USA)
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Copyright © Marcel Germain.
COMMERCIAL USE. Any commercial use of this image is prohibited without my prior, explicit permission. Please contact me by Flickrmail if you are interested in licencing one of my pictures for commercial purposes.
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Not sure I understand wearing a mask that guarantees you'll need to be led around at Comic-Con - isn't the point of attending Comic-Con to, well, SEE Comic-Con?
I think this was a female dressed as Question, and she and Batwoman were awful chummy. Which follows the comics pretty closely, I think they were an item, at least they were before the recent retconning. Now, who knows?
I was tagged by Cartoonboy77 ^_^
Random Questions:
Whats your name? ...Bloom :)?
How old are you? 17.
What is your favourite colour? Turquoise
What is your lucky number? 8
Do you have any pets? Yes *_* A chihuahua and a fat tailed gerbil.
Where are you from? Germany, but my dad is from Sicily and my mom from Czech Republic.
What shoe size are you? 39 in German shoe size.
How many pairs of shoes do you own? ... I don't know ... 5-6 I think.
If you were a superhero what powers would you have? Dragonfire like Bloom or Water like Katara.
What's your biggest dream? A better world.
have you ever been in love, but to afraid to tell him? Nope.
What do you think about bullied? Humans are evil.
Have you been bullied? Nope.
What talents do you habe? Drawing and Design :)
How did you get your Flickr username? Bloom, because of Winx Club and Ikaros because she is my favourite char in Sora no Otoshimono.
What did you want to be when you were little? I can't remember...xD I think fashion designer.
What do your order at McDonalds? Chips and Snack Wrap TS without meat xD
What is the funniest joke you know? Umm... I don't know but I love memes and funny pictures xD
What are your top 3 movies? Winx Club The secret of the lost kingdom, Titanic andd.... M y Neighbour Totoro and some other movies from Studio Ghibli.
What are your top 3 TV-Series? Winx Club, Avatar and alot of Animes like Death Note etc. I can't really say which are my top 3.
Which food can you not live without? French Fries/Chips
Which Pokémon would you want to be and why? I don't know I never watched Pokémon :( I think Pikachu?
Favourite Winx Club character and why? Bloom & Sky. Because I love them so much, they are so cute together and Winx is my childhood <3
Favourite Celebrity and Why? Taddl & Ungespielt (German YouTubers) and Jared Leto (30 Seconds to Mars), because they are awesome peoples!
Which one do you prefer?
Fish or Meat? ... Tofu.
Winter or Summer? Summer
Gaming or Hanging out with friends? It depends on the weather.
Youtube or Facebook? OMG Youtube! I hate Facebook.
Winx Club Mattel Dolls or Jakks Dolls? I think every knows that I love Mattel dolls xD
Pancakes or Spaghetti? Spaghetti
Pizza or Hamburger? Pizza <3
Hawaii or Japan? .... I think Japan :)
Friends or Parents? I can't say. I love my parents and my friends.
Coffee or Tea? Tea :3
~This was alot of fun ^-^
Sorry when I tag someone who was already tagged!
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled. Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.
We are, and always will be, the United States of America.
It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.
It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment change has come to America.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen.
McCain.
Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn't start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston. It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to the cause.
It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.
It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organized and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.
This is your victory.
And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.
Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.
There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.
There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.
The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.
I promise you, we as a people will get there.
There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.
But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years -- block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.
What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.
This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.
It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.
So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.
Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.
In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.
Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.
Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.
As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.
And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.
And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.
To those -- to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.
That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.
This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.
She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons -- because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.
And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America -- the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.
At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.
When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.
When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.
She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that "We Shall Overcome." Yes we can.
A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.
And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.
Yes we can.
America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves -- if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?
This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.
This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.
Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.
- Barack Obama - President Elect
Sen. Barack Obama spoke at a rally in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, after winning the race for the White House Tuesday night. The following is an exact transcript of his speech. (Source CNN)
"Jesus and his disciples left for the villages round Caesarea Philippi. On the way he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say I am?’ And they told him. ‘John the Baptist,’ they said ‘others Elijah; others again, one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he asked ‘who do you say I am?’ Peter spoke up and said to him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone about him."
– Mark 8:27-30, which is part of today's Gospel at Mass.
Mosaic detail from the chancel arch of Westminster Cathedral showing St Peter with some of the apostles.
"Investors Question Financial Sense of Abbott-St. Jude Deal" by ROBERT CYRAN via NYT t.co/o2tkjEgFIS (via Twitter twitter.com/felipemassone/status/725727833910349824)
Katya:
Hmm... There´s so many flower prints this season in fashions..
Olga:
There sure is! I am not sure about that... In a way I do like them but... I dunno..
But I´ve been wondering, which flower or a plant I´d be?!
Katya:
Which flower you´d be...
Olga:
Yeah!
The question was where to stop to take in the aspen trees. I decided on pretty much whenever I had the chance! Here I decided for a wide angle shot, looking to the skies to capture the breath of the view.
Expedition 41 media briefing with Max Surayev and Reid Wiseman, 18 March 2014.
Credit: NASA-B. Stafford
What brings you more agony??? Doing something you know you shouldn’t do but have no regrets about it? Or.... not doing it and being in agony over wondering what would have happened had you done it?
How methane is created and destroyed on Mars is an important question in understanding the various detections and non-detections of methane at Mars, with differences in both time and location. Although making up a very small amount of the overall atmospheric inventory, methane in particular holds key clues to the planet’s current state of activity.
This graphic depicts some of the possible ways methane might be added or removed from the atmosphere.
One exciting possibility is that methane is generated by microbes. If buried underground, this gas could be stored in lattice-structured ice formations known as clathrates, and released to the atmosphere at a much later time.
Methane can also be generated by reactions between carbon dioxide and hydrogen (which, in turn, can be produced by reaction of water and olivine-rich rocks), by deep magmatic degassing or by thermal degradation of ancient organic matter. Again, this could be stored underground and outgassed through cracks in the surface. Methane can also become trapped in pockets of shallow ice, such as seasonal permafrost.
Ultraviolet radiation can both generate methane – through reactions with other molecules or organic material already on the surface, such as comet dust falling onto Mars – and break it down. Ultraviolet reactions in the upper atmosphere (above 60 km) and oxidation reactions in the lower atmosphere (below 60 km) acts to transform methane into carbon dioxide, hydrogen and water vapour, and leads to a lifetime of the molecule of about 300 years.
Methane can also be quickly distributed around the planet by atmospheric circulation, diluting its signal and making it challenging to identify individual sources. Because of the lifetime of the molecule when considering atmospheric processes, any detections today imply it has been released relatively recently.
But other generation and destruction methods have been proposed which explain more localized detections and also allow a faster removal of methane from the atmosphere, closer to the surface of the planet. Dust is abundant in the lower atmosphere below 10 km and may play a role, along with interactions directly with the surface. For example, one idea is that methane diffuses or ‘seeps’ through the surface in localized regions, and is adsorbed back into the surface regolith. Another idea is that strong winds eroding the planet’s surface allows methane to react quickly with dust grains, removing the signature of methane. Seasonal dust storms and dust devils could also accelerate this process.
Continued exploration at Mars – from orbit and the surface alike – along with laboratory experiments and simulations, will help scientists to better understand the different processes involved in generating and destroying methane.
Credits: ESA