View allAll Photos Tagged Realization
So, i've come to the realization that many people may think i have a strange obsession with photography and cars. Well i'm here to break that belief, or, at least one of them. Watson Lu is finally breaking away from his comfort zone and shooting some landscape. The other night I was with a few of my good friends at a Canibeat car meet down in Fremont, I had a lot of fun. Nice cars and good company, that's all we really need, right?
Anyways, on the way back from Fremont, we decided to go to Genkis and get some delicious crepes. They were mighty delicious. Afterwards we stopped here to simply enjoy the view. This was definitely one of the calmest days i've ever seen the bridge, no fog, little wind, and 65 degree weather at almost midnight. Such an epic way to end the night!
Thanks for looking :D
5D2 | 17-40L
Exif:
f/7.1
30sec
ISO100
Yes, the first photo i've ever uploaded on flickr from my new 5D. I hope you guys like it!
An Instantiation is a concept in Object Oriented Programming (OOP) - You can create an object with a set of properties that are defined by a Class in a program. When you create a member of a class, it is the instantiation (i.e. realization or creation) of a specific object of that class.
Object (computer science)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In computer science, an object is a location in memory having a value and possibly referenced by an identifier. An object can be a variable, a data structure, or a function. In the class-based object-oriented programming paradigm, "object" refers to a particular instance of a class where the object can be a combination of variables, functions, and data structures. In relational database management, an object can be a table or column, or an association between data and a database entity (such as relating a person's age to a specific person).[1]
Contents [hide]
1 Object-based languages
2 Object-oriented programming
3 Specialized objects
4 Distributed objects
5 Objects and the Semantic Web
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
Object-based languages[edit]
Main article: Object-based language
An important distinction in programming languages is the difference between an object-oriented language and an object-based language. A language is usually considered object-based if it includes the basic capabilities for an object: identity, properties, and attributes. A language is considered object-oriented if it is object-based and also has the capability of polymorphism and inheritance. Polymorphism refers to the ability to overload the name of a function with multiple behaviors based on which object(s) are passed to it. Conventional message passing discriminates only on the first object and considers that to be "sending a message" to that object. However, some OOP languages such as Flavors and the Common Lisp Object System (CLOS) enable discriminating on more than the first parameter of the function.[2] Inheritance is the ability to subclass an object class, to create a new class that is a subclass of an existing one and inherits all the data constraints and behaviors of its parents but also changes one or more of them.[3][4]
Object-oriented programming[edit]
Main article: Object-oriented programming
Object-Oriented programming is an approach to designing modular reusable software systems. The object-oriented approach is fundamentally a modelling approach.[5] The object-oriented approach is an evolution of good design practices that go back to the very beginning of computer programming. Object-orientation is simply the logical extension of older techniques such as structured programming and abstract data types. An object is an abstract data type with the addition of polymorphism and inheritance.
Rather than structure programs as code and data an object-oriented system integrates the two using the concept of an "object". An object has state (data) and behavior (code). Objects can correspond to things found in the real world. So for example, a graphics program will have objects such as circle, square, menu. An online shopping system will have objects such as shopping cart, customer, product,. The shopping system will support behaviors such as place order, make payment, and offer discount. The objects are designed as class hierarchies. So for example with the shopping system there might be high level classes such as electronics product, kitchen product, and book. There may be further refinements for example under electronic products: CD Player, DVD player, etc. These classes and subclasses correspond to sets and subsets in mathematical logic.[6][7]
Specialized objects[edit]
An important concept for objects is the design pattern. A design pattern provides a reusable template to address a common problem. The following object descriptions are examples of some of the most common design patterns for objects.[8]
Function object: an object with a single method (in C++, this method would be the function operator, "operator()") that acts much like a function (like a C/C++ pointer to a function).
Immutable object: an object set up with a fixed state at creation time and which does not change afterward.
First-class object: an object that can be used without restriction.
Container: an object that can contain other objects.
Factory object: an object whose purpose is to create other objects.
Metaobject: an object from which other objects can be created (Compare with class, which is not necessarily an object)
Prototype: a specialized metaobject from which other objects can be created by copying
God object: an object that knows too much or does too much. The God object is an example of an anti-pattern.
Singleton object: An object that is the only instance of its class during the lifetime of the program.
Filter object
Distributed objects[edit]
Main article: Distributed object
The object-oriented approach is not just a programming model. It can be used equally well as an interface definition language for distributed systems. The objects in a distributed computing model tend to be larger grained, longer lasting, and more service-oriented than programming objects.
A standard method to package distributed objects is via an Interface Definition Language (IDL). An IDL shields the client of all of the details of the distributed server object. Details such as which computer the object resides on, what programming language it uses, what operating system, and other platform specific issues. The IDL is also usually part of a distributed environment that provides services such as transactions and persistence to all objects in a uniform manner. Two of the most popular standards for distributed objects are the Object Management Group's CORBA standard and Microsoft's DCOM.[9]
In addition to distributed objects, a number of other extensions to the basic concept of an object have been proposed to enable distributed computing:
Protocol objects are components of a protocol stack that enclose network communication within an object-oriented interface.
Replicated objects are groups of distributed objects (called replicas) that run a distributed multi-party protocol to achieve high consistency between their internal states, and that respond to requests in a coordinated way. Examples include fault-tolerant CORBA objects.
Live distributed objects (or simply live objects)[10] generalize the replicated object concept to groups of replicas that might internally use any distributed protocol, perhaps resulting in only a weak consistency between their local states.
Some of these extensions, such as distributed objects and protocol objects, are domain-specific terms for special types of "ordinary" objects used in a certain context (such as remote invocation or protocol composition). Others, such as replicated objects and live distributed objects, are more non-standard, in that they abandon the usual case that an object resides in a single location at a time, and apply the concept to groups of entities (replicas) that might span across multiple locations, might have only weakly consistent state, and whose membership might dynamically change.
Objects and the Semantic Web[edit]
The Semantic Web is essentially a distributed objects framework. Two key technologies in the Semantic Web are the Web Ontology Language (OWL) and the Resource Description Framework (RDF). RDF provides the capability to define basic objects—names, properties, attributes, relations—that are accessible via the Internet. OWL adds a richer object model, based on set theory, that provides additional modeling capabilities such as multiple inheritance.
OWL objects are not like standard large grained distributed objects accessed via an Interface Definition Language. Such an approach would not be appropriate for the Internet because the Internet is constantly evolving and standardization on one set of interfaces is difficult to achieve. OWL objects tend to be similar to the kind of objects used to define application domain models in programming languages such as Java and C++.
However, there are important distinctions between OWL objects and traditional object-oriented programming objects. Where as traditional objects get compiled into static hierarchies usually with single inheritance, OWL objects are dynamic. An OWL object can change its structure at run time and can become an instance of new or different classes.
Another critical difference is the way the model treats information that is currently not in the system. Programming objects and most database systems use the "closed-world assumption". If a fact is not known to the system that fact is assumed to be false. Semantic Web objects use the open world assumption, a statement is only considered false if there is actual relevant information that it is false, otherwise it is assumed to be unknown, neither true nor false.
OWL objects are actually most like objects in artificial intelligence frame languages such as KL-ONE and Loom.
The following table contrasts traditional objects from Object-Oriented programming languages such as Java or C++ with Semantic Web Objects:[11][12]
OOP ObjectsSemantic Web Objects
Classes are regarded as types for instances.Classes are regarded as sets of individuals.
Instances can not change their type at runtime.Class membership may change at runtime.
The list of classes is fully known at compile-time and cannot change after that.Classes can be created and changed at runtime.
Compilers are used at build-time. Compile-time errors indicate problems.Reasoners can be used for classification and consistency checking at runtime or build-time.
Classes encode much of their meaning and behavior through imperative functions and methods.Classes make their meaning explicit in terms of OWL statements. No imperative code can be attached.
Instances are anonymous insofar that they cannot easily be addressed from outside of an executing program.All named RDF and OWL resources have a unique URI under which they can be referenced.
Closed world: If there is not enough information to prove a statement true, then it is assumed to be false.Open world: If there is not enough information to prove a statement true, then it may be true or false.[13]
I decided to do a photoshoot rather dark in response to an article I read on the net. It spoke of the rape culture in our society. It really made me think and I wanted to recreate that in this series of three Photogallery with Hambleton.
Every once in a while I try something different to break the monotonous habits I form around methods of "making." In this case, digital painting.
In the realization of the attic Gaudí adopted an ingenious architectural solution based on the use of so-called catenary arch, which allows an even distribution of loads by eliminating the need for columns, walls and buttresses. The result is an environment that calls to mind a cave, or some say the rib cage of a large animal like a whale.
---
Nella realizzazione della soffitta Gaudí adottò una ingegnosa soluzione architettonica basata sull'utilizzo del cosiddetto arco catenario o arco equilibrato, che consente una omogenea distribuzione dei carichi eliminando la necessità di colonne, muri e contrafforti. Il risultato è un ambiente che richiama una caverna, o secondo alcuni la cassa toracica di un grande animale come la balena. In passato vi trovava posto la lavanderia dei condomini mentre oggi ospita un piccolo museo dedicato all'architetto catalano. Due scale a chiocciola collegano i locali della soffitta alla terrazza.
it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Batll%C3%B3#La_soffitta
--
Website (wip): picas.cc/
Twitter: twitter.com/supersum30
Towards the end of the Korean War, the USAF came to the realization that their transport fleet was becoming obsolete. The C-46 Commandos and C-47 Skytrains in service were no longer adequate, while the C-119 Flying Boxcar was having difficulties. In 1951, the USAF issued a requirement for a new tactical transport, an aircraft that would need to carry at least 72 passengers, be capable of dropping paratroopers, and have a ramp for loading vehicles directly into the cargo compartment. Moreover, it must be a “clean sheet” design, not a conversion from an existing airliner, and the USAF preferred it be a turboprop design. Five companies submitted designs, and six months later the USAF chose Lockheed’s L-402 design—over the misgivings of Lockheed’s chief designer, Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, who warned that the L-402 would destroy the company. Little was Johnson to know that, fifty years later, the L-402—designated C-130 Hercules by the USAF—would still be in production, and one out of only five aircraft to have over 50 years of service with the original purchaser.
The C-130 was designed to give mostly unfettered access to a large cargo compartment—the ramp forms an integral part of the rear fuselage, the wing is mounted above the fuselage, and the landing gear is carried in sponsons attached to the fuselage itself, while the fuselage has a circular design to maximize loading potential. The high wing also gives the C-130 good lift, especially in “high and hot” situations. The Allison T56 turboprop was designed specifically for the Hercules, and has gone on to become one of the most successful turboprop designs in history.
After two YC-130 prototypes, the Hercules went into production as the C-130A in 1956, to be superseded by the improved C-130B in 1959. The latter became the baseline Hercules variant: C-130As had three-blade propellers and a rounded “Roman” nose, while the B introduced the more familiar, longer radar nose and four-blade propellers. (Virtually all A models were later retrofitted to the long nose, though they kept the three-blade propellers.) In the 50 years hence, the basic C-130 design has not changed much: the C-130E introduced underwing external fuel tanks, while the C-130H has a slightly different wing. Even the new C-130J variant only introduced new engines with more fuel efficient six-bladed propellers: the basic design remains the same. Lockheed also offers stretched versions of the Hercules, initially as a civilian-only option (the L-100-30); the British Royal Air Force bought this version as the C-130K and it was later adopted by other nations, including the United States.
The basic C-130 is strictly a transport aircraft, but the versatility of the aircraft has meant it has been modified into a dizzying number of variants. These include the AC-130 Spectre gunship, the HC-130 rescue aircraft and WC-130 weather reconnaissance version. Other versions include several dozen EC-130 electronic warfare/Elint variants, KC-130 tankers, and DC-130 drone aircraft controllers. The USAF, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are all C-130 operators as well. Besides the United States, there are 67 other operators of C-130s, making it one of the world’s most prolific aircraft, with its only rivals the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family and the Antonov An-2 Colt biplane transport. C-130s are also used extensively by civilian operators as well as the L-100 series.
The “Herky Bird,” as it is often nicknamed, has participated in every military campaign fought by the United States since 1960 in one variation or the other. During Vietnam, it was used in almost every role imaginable, from standard transport to emergency bomber: as the latter, it dropped M121 10,000 pound mass-focus bombs to clear jungle away for helicopter landing zones, and it was even attempted to use C-130s with these bombs against the infamous Thanh Hoa Bridge in North Vietnam. (Later this capability was added as standard to MC-130 Combat Talon special forces support aircraft; the MC-130 is the only aircraft cleared to carry the GBU-43 MOAB.) It was also instrumental in resupplying the Khe Sanh garrison during its three-month siege. Hercules crews paid the price as well: nearly 70 C-130s were lost during the Vietnam War. In foreign service, C-130s have also been used heavily, the most famous instance of which was likely the Israeli Entebbe Raid of 1976, one of the longest-ranged C-130 missions in history. C-130s are often in the forefront of humanitarian missions to trouble spots around the world, most recently in the 2011 Sendai earthquake disaster in Japan.
As of this writing, over 2300 C-130s have been built, and most are still in service. It remains the backbone of the USAF’s tactical transport service; attempts to replace it with the Advanced Tactical Transport Program (ATTP) in the 1980s and to supplement it with the C-27J Spartan in the 2000s both failed, as the USAF realized that the only real replacement for a C-130 is another C-130.
66-0212 has had quite the career. Built as a HC-130P Combat King rescue support aircraft, it was initially assigned to the 48th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron at Eglin AFB, Florida, in 1966. It wasn't there long before it was transferred to Vietnam, where it joined the 38th ARRS at Tan Son Nhut, coordinating rescues of downed airmen in Southeast Asia. 66-0212 was one of two aircraft selected in 1970 for a special mission, one that was kept highly guarded: Operation Kingpin. It wasn't until nearly the day of the operation that 66-0212's crew learned what the target of their mission was: the Son Tay prison camp, not far from Hanoi itself. Though Kingpin was almost perfectly executed, with 66-0212 one of the pathfinder aircraft for the USAF HH-53 Jolly Greens headed for Son Tay, it hit a dry hole: Son Tay's POWs had been moved to another camp due to flooding.
After the Son Tay raid, 66-0212 would remain in Vietnam a bit longer, before returning to the United States, for assignment at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico with the 1550th Air Training and Test Wing; it would be used to train other Combat King crews. The aircraft would remain at Kirtland for the rest of its active duty career, and was converted to a MC-130P Combat Talon in 1996, continuing to train special operations crews as part of the 58th Special Operations Wing. As newer MC-130s arrived, 66-0212 was transferred to the 129th Rescue Wing (California ANG) at Moffett Field until it was retired in 2018. Because of its status as a Son Tay raider, 66-0212 was donated to the Castle Air Museum.
I was a bit surprised to see a MC-130 on display, but Castle has done a nice job in maintaining this historic aircraft. It wears the current camouflage scheme for USAF special operations aircraft.
life just ain't going right for me recently, like it's toying with me. Happiness come & go just like the wind, as always luck is not on my side. Don't even know what to do anymore, time to wake up...
the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.
The realization of a sculpture designed by Leonardo Da Vinci but never created. This copy was sculpted by Nina Akamu. Random tourist for scale.
As planned by Leonardo, the bronze horse is 24 feet (7.3 metres) tall.
Last minute realization.. I have no photo of the day! Instead of pajamas I made EG put on her ball gown and pose in front of my new "backdrop" I bought at the fabric store -- it's really a $14 remnant of an expensive piece of upholstery fabric w/ flowers and butterflies.. It was half price! I bought quite a few pieces that I am looking forward to using.
Thank goodness she stopped being silly long enough for me to get a shot! She's saved me many times!! I love you Emma Grace!
PTM: Warm Sweetness and Heaven Shines Down actions
Top U.S. space expert and the moon rocket model in 57. Collection of photos available on Google LIFE Magazine in 2008. Here is a picture from the session photo and there is one which has made the cover of November 18, 1957 in the Sputnik crisis. The RM-1 spacecraft to the left of Mr. Von Braun, is the model that was used in the Disney movie "Trip Around the Moon" in 1955. Dan Beaumont report. WIKIPEDIA: Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun (March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977) was a German-born rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and, subsequently, the United States.
In his 20s and early 30s, von Braun was the central figure in Germany's rocket development program, responsible for the design and realization of the V-2 combat rocket during World War II. After the war, he and some of his rocket team were taken to the United States as part of the then-secret Operation Paperclip. Von Braun worked on the United States Army intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) program before his group was assimilated by NASA, under which he served as director of the newly formed Marshall Space Flight Center and as the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the superbooster that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon.[1] According to one NASA source, he is "without doubt, the greatest rocket scientist in history".[2] His crowning achievement was to lead the development of the Saturn V booster rocket that helped land the first men on the Moon in July 1969.[3] In 1975 he received the National Medal of Science.
Our first good glimpse of an Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin. When I was a child, I saw a documentary about the friendly dolphins of Western Australia and was captivated. I had seen dolphins from the coast of South Africa, where I grew up, but had not ever come very close to a wild one. It became a “bucket list” dream of mine to see the WA dolphins. 30 years later, I finally got to do it! The dolphins were as gregarious as described. We were fortunate to have the area to ourselves for about 10 minutes, during which time the dolphins curiously swam around and under our kayak, playfully popping up right beside us only to disappear. They “charged” toward us then dove under, showed off their amazing tails and otherwise delighted us. (When motorized boats later appeared, they swam off. Kayaking was definitely the best way to see them.). It was a very emotional moment for me, as dolphins were my favourite animal as a child, and I had longed to be this close to wild ones; the experience was just a dream come true. Special thank you to Jean Hort for recommending Mandurah! It was so worth the visit.
"Here's a sobering thought: what if, at this very moment, I am living
up to my full potential?"
- Jane Wagner
Ideas living in your mind
hopes growing in your heart
dreams invading your nights and days
thoughts being present in your tears, shrugs and chukcles
The stuff you are made of
Now
materializing
solidifying
corporealizing
The world outside your mind
is mimicing, mirroring, materializing
your idea
+++ 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:
Due to the restrictions of the Versailles treaties, the Reichswehr was already dealing with the increasing mobilization and motorization of the army after the end of the First World War. The realization that the speed of the troop units required appropriate equipment was available early on. However, the Reichswehr suffered from financial constraints and during the Weimar Republic the industry only had limited capacity for series production of larger, armored vehicles.
Nevertheless, at that time the Sd.Kfz. 3 (unarmored half-track transport vehicle/1927), the ARW (eight-wheel car/1928) and the ZRW (ten-wheel car/1928) provided fundamental experience. The findings of these tests and the troop testing with the Sd.Kfz. 3 enabled a more precise specification of the new vehicles to be developed. The "heavy" armored cars were primarily intended for the reconnaissance units of the new armored forces.
The incipient rearmament could only start with a "cheap" solution, though. A three-part armored structure for the chassis of commercially available off-road trucks was developed by the Army Weapons Office, Dept. WaTest 6, in cooperation with the company Deutsche Eisenwerke AG. The typical truck chassis featured front-wheel steering and a driven bogie at the rear (4x6 layout). In June 1929, the companies Magirus, Daimler-Benz and Büssing-NAG were commissioned to develop the desired armored car from it. If you consider that this truck class was developed for a payload of 1.5t, you can already conclude from this that the vehicles, which are now equipped with a significantly heavy armored structure, had little off-road mobility. Even if the appearance of the vehicles supplied by the different manufacturers was similar, there were external distinguishing features by which the manufacturer could be identified. The vehicles were tested in the Reichswehr from 1932 and introduced later.
One of the four crew members (driver, commander, gunner, radio-operator) was used as a reverse driver: with the narrow streets of the time and a turning circle of between 13 and 16m, this function was essential for a truck-sized heavy reconnaissance vehicle. The chassis had the excellent ladder-type configuration, able to withstand the stress of rough rides at high speed. The scout car was 5570 mm long, 1820 mm wide, 2250 mm high and weighed 5.35, 5.7 or 6 tons, depending on the manufacturer. The hull was made of welded steel armor, 5 to 14.5 mm (0.2-0.57 in) thick depending on the angle (bottom to front) with well-sloped plates. The armament consisted of a 2 cm KwK 30 with 200 rounds and a MG 13 with 1300 rounds in a manually operated turret. The fuel supply was 90, 105 or 110 liters, but with a consumption of about 35 or 40 liters per 100 km, this resulted in a completely inadequate range for a scout car.
Having no true alternatives at hand, the armored 4x6 car was accepted and became known as the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-wheel), and it was subsequently developed into two more vehicles. Up until 1937, 123 vehicles were built as Sd.Kfz. 231 reconnaissance cars and Sd.Kfz. 232 radio trucks. A further 28 were manufactured as Sd.Kfz. 263 (Panzerfunkwagen) command vehicles.
As early as 1932, after testing the pilot series, it was clear that the interim solution of "cheap" 6-wheel vehicles would not meet the future requirements of the armored divisions now planned. It was planned that from 1935/36 at least 18 vehicles of a new type that would meet the requirements for off-road mobility and high road speeds should be produced annually. Büssing-NAG had obviously made a good impression with the ARW and was now commissioned to make the revised vehicle ready for series production, which would become the SdKfz. 231 (8-Rad). The overall concept was completed between 1934 and 1935 and already showed all the features of the future type: all 8 wheels driven and steered, the same speed forwards and backwards, ability to change direction in less than 10 seconds, and a turning circle of "only" 10.5m. The vehicle layout was changed, too: the engine bay was relocated to the rear, the crew compartment was placed at the front end. This improved weight distribution, handling, and the field of view for the main forward driver.
The purpose of the new vehicles was identical to that of the earlier heavy 6-wheel vehicles, they were used on the same sites and so the same ordnance inventory designation was adopted, despite the vehicle’s many modifications. The so-called Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) was armed, corresponding to its 6-Rad counterpart, with a 2cm KwK 30 and the MG 13 (later MG 34) in a rotating turret. Likewise, the Sd.Kfz. 232 (8-Rad) carried a large, curved bow antenna, and there was a Sd.Kfz. 263 (8-Rad) command vehicle, too.
Nevertheless, the Army Weapons Office demanded a short-term solution for a vehicle based on the 4x6 chassis that offered better off-road performance and armament, namely a 37 mm anti-tank gun, with at least comparable range and armor protection. This interim vehicle was supposed to be ready for service in early 1934. Magirus accepted the challenge and proposed the Sd.Kfz. 241, a 4x8 vehicle. It retained the old overall 6-Rad layout with the front engine under a long bonnet, but it had a fourth steered axle added to lower ground pressure and improve the vehicle’s trench bridging capabilities. The powered two rear axles retained the 6-Rad’s twin wheels, so that the vehicle stood on a total of twelve tires with a relatively large footprint. The armored hull was very similar to the Sd.Kfz. 231 6-Rad, but carried a new, bigger turret with a 3.7 cm KwK 30 L/45 gun and an axis-parallel 7.92 mm MG 34 light machine gun.
The box-shaped turret exploited the hull’s width to the maximum and had a maximum armor of 15 mm, no base and the seat of the commander was attached to the tower wall. The commander sat elevated under a raised cupola in the rear section of the turret, just behind the main gun. He had five viewing slits protected by glass blocks and steel slides for all-round visibility. The gunner/loader, standing to the left of the main gun, had to constantly follow the movement of the turret, which was done by hand. In order to support the gunner when slewing the turret, the commander had an additional handle on the right side. The two crew members also had a turret position indicator.
The cannon was fired electrically via a trigger, the machine gun was operated mechanically with a pedal. To aim and view the outside, the gunner had a gun sight to the left of the gun with an opening in the gun mantlet. Standard access to the vehicle was through low double-doors in the vehicle’ flank, but side exit openings in the turret with two flaps each were also frequently used to board it. Another entry was through the commander cupola’s lid.
With all this extra hardware, the Sd.Kfz. 241’s overall weight rose considerably from the late Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) nearly 6 tons to 7.5 tons. As a consequence, the chassis had to be reinforced and a more powerful engine was used, a 6-cylinder Maybach HL 42 TRKM w carburetor gasoline engine with 4170 cc capacity and 100 hp (74 kW) output at 3000 rpm.
As expected, the Sd.Kfz. 241 was not a success. Even though the first vehicles were delivered in time in mid-1934, its operational value was rather limited. Off-road capability was, due to the extra weight, the raised center of gravity and the lack of all-wheel drive, just as bad as the 6-Rad vehicles, and the more powerful engine’s higher fuel consumption allowed neither higher range, despite bigger fuel tanks, nor a better street performance. The only real progress was the new 3.7 cm KwK 30’s firepower, which was appreciated by the crews, even though the weapon was only effective against armored targets at close range. At 100 m, 64 mm of vertical armor could be penetrated, but at 500 m this already dropped to 31 mm, any angle in the armor weakened its hitting power even further. The weapon’s maximum range was 5.000m, though, and with HE rounds the Sd.Kfz. 241 could provide indirect fire support. Another factor that limited the vehicle’s effectiveness was that the gun had to be operated by a single crew member who had to load and aim at the same time – there was simply not enough space for a separate loader who would also have increased the gun’s rate of fire from six to maybe twelve rounds per minute. The vehicle’s armor was also inadequate and only gave protection against light firearms, but not against machine guns or heavier weapons. On the other side, the cupola on top of the turret offered the commander in his elevated position a very good all-round field of view, even when under full protection – but this progressive detail was not adopted for the following armored reconnaissance vehicles and remained exclusive to German battle tanks.
Only a total of fifty-five Sd.Kfz. 241s were completed by Magirus in Cologne until 1936, when production of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) vehicle family started and soon replaced the Sd.Kfz. 241, which was primarily operated at the Eastern Front in Poland and Czechoslovakia. By 1940, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left in any frontline army unit, but a few survivors were grouped together and handed over to police units. Their main gun was either completely deleted or sometimes replaced with a second machine gun, and they were used for urban patrols and riot control duties. However, by 1942, no Sd.Kfz. 241 was left over.
Specifications:
Crew: Four (commander, gunner, driver, radio operator/rear driver)
Weight: 7.5 tons (11.450 lb)
Length: 5,85 metres (19 ft 2 in)
Width: 2,20 metres (7 ft 2 ½ in)
Height: 2,78 metres (9 ft 1 in)
Ground clearance: 28.5 cm (10 in)
Suspension: Torsion bar and leaf springs
Fuel capacity: 150 litres (33 imp gal; 40 US gal)
Armor:
8–15 mm (0.31 – 0.6 in)
Performance:
Maximum road speed: 70 km/h (43.5 mph)
52 km/h (32.3 mph) backwards
Operational range: 250 km (155 miles)
Power/weight: 13 PS/ton
Engine:
Maybach HL42 TRKM water-cooled straight 6-cylinder petrol engine with 100 hp (74 kW),
driving the rear pair of axles
Transmission:
Maybach gearbox with 5-speed forward and 4-speed reverse
Armament:
1× 37 mm KwK 30 L/45 cannon with 70 rounds
1× 7.92 mm MG 34 machine gun mounted co-axially with 1.300 rounds
The kit and its assembly:
This fictional armored car was inspired by a leftover rear axles from an Italeri Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) model that I converted into a fictional half-track variant some time ago. I wondered if the set could be transplanted under an 8-Rad chassis, to create a kind of missing link to the 8x8 successors of the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad) with a total of twelve tires on four axles.
The basis became a First to Fight 1:72 Sd.Kfz. 231 (8-Rad) kit – a rather simple and robust affair, apparently primarily intended for tabletop purposes. But the overall impression is good, and it would be modified, anyway, even though the plastic turned out to be rather soft/waxy and the parts’ sprue attachment points a bit wacky.
The hull was “turned around” to drive backwards, so that its rear engine ended up in the front. I eventually only used the rear twin wheels from the Sd.Kfz. 231 (6-Rad), but not its single axles and laminated springs. Instead, I first cut the OOB mudguards in two halves, removed their side skirts and glued them onto the lower hull in reversed order, so that the exhausts and their muffler boxes would end up at the rear of the front fenders. With these in place I checked the axles’ position from the OOB ladder chassis, which is a single, integral part, and found that the rear axles’ position had to be moved by 2mm backwards. Cutting the original piece and re-arranging it was easier to scratch a new rear suspension, and the rocker bars had to be shortened to accept the wider twin wheels.
The original small turret with the 20 mm autocannon was deleted and replaced with core elements from a Panzer III turret, left over from previous conversion projects. Wider than any original turret of the Sd.Kfz. 231/232 family, it had to be narrowed by roughly 5mm – I had to cut a respective plug from the turret’s and the mantlet’s middle section, the deformed hatch was covered under a Panzer III commander cupola. To mate the re-arranged turret with the OOB adapter plate to mount it onto the hull, and to add overall stability to the construction, I filled the interior with 2C putty.
The typical storage bin at the turret’s rear was omitted, though, it would have made it too large for the compact truck chassis. The shape was a perfect stylistic match, even though, with the longer gun barrel, the vehicle reminds a lot of the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car?
Most small details like the bumpers and the headlights were taken OOB, I added a whip antenna base at the rear and mounted two spare wheels at the back, one of them covered with a tarpaulin (made from paper tissue drenched with white glue, this was also used to create the gun mantlet seals).
Painting and markings:
Typical for German vehicles from the early WWII stages the Sd.Kfz. 241 was painted Panzergrau (RAL 7021; I used Humbrol 67, which is authentic, but mixed it with some 125 to create a slightly lighter shade of grey) overall - quite dull, but realistic. To make the vehicle look more interesting, though, I added authentic contemporary camouflage in the form of low-contrast blotches with RAL 8017, a very dark reddish brown, mixed from Humbrol 160 and some 98. Better, but IMHO still not enough.
After the model received a washing with highly thinned red-brown acrylic artist paint I applied the few decals and gave the parts an overall dry-brushing treatment with grey and dark earth. Everything was sealed with matt acrylic varnish. For even more “excitement”, I decided to add a coat of snow.
For the simulated “frosting” I used white tile grout – which has the benefits of being water-soluble, quite sturdy to touch and the material does not yellow over time like gypsum.
First, the wheels, the chassis and the inside of the wheel arches received a separate treatment with relatively dryly mixed tile grout, simulating snow and dirt clusters. Once thoroughly dried, the wheels were mounted. Then the model was sprayed with low surface tension water and loose tile grout was drizzled over hull and turret, creating a flaky coat of fake snow. Once dry again, everything received another coat of matt acrylic varnish to protect and fixate everything further.
A relatively quick build, done in a few days. The First to Fight kit is very simple and went together well, but I’d use something else the next time due to the odd material it was molded with. The outcome of an 4x8 scout car looks quite plausible, though, like the missing link between the Sd.Kfz. 231 and 232 – the unintended similarity with the Soviet BA-10 heavy armored car was a bit surprising, though. And the snow on the model eventually makes it look a bit more interesting, the stunt was worth the effort.
As I prepared for my day today, my mind thought reached a realization - it's be a full 10 months since I've photographed a bear! No wonder I've been missing them.
On a trip to the Canadian Rockies to meet up with Jeff Clow's DCPT in Banff, Tom & I went out early to explore other photo opportunities surrounding that area. One of the areas that we found particularly fun for it's uniqueness, was the town of Golden in British Columbia, Canada. There was so much to do there - hiking, mountain biking, paragliding - to name a few. There was also quite a bit of wildlife there, including BEAR! So you know that I was quite the happy camper. Actually even the camping was wonderful, as we slept peacefully in our yurt nearby.
So, one evening when we drove around the town, on the way out, I spotted this black bear along the roadside (which is unusual because normally wildlife is spotted by my personal "wildlife spotter extraordinaire" husband Tom. The black bear was seemingly dining on what appeared to be some grain or oats that got spilled in the gravel along the roadside pull-out. So we pulled over and from the car, I happily snapped away images. Of course, when a car is pulled over with a long lens pointed out the window, many more cars are to follow. Now when I'm the additional car, it's never a problem :-) , but when you have wildlife to yourself, trying to be respectable to their space and signs that they're exhibiting with your presence, when a big rig shows up and activates it's air brakes and positions itself between you and the wildlife, that's an issue... enough said, I won't dwell on it. Back to the story ...
So every time we were either coming or going from the area, must times we spotted a black bear there. Not sure how many there were, but there was more than one based upon size, color, etc. So it became on ritual to stop in on the area and watch or wait for the bears to show up.
In this image, the bigger of the bears had obviously fed enough and was taking a break in the action. As it simply laid down and rested, it would look up at me while I was photographing it. The look in its eyes was such an intriguing look and I couldn't help but wonder what it was thinking. What do you think?
Well, I just had to get my bear fix for the day. My time to visit with the bears and other wildlife (other than birds) are WAY overdue. In a few weeks I'll begin my 30-day countdown to Alaska and for me, it can't come soon enough!
Thanks for stopping by to visit and especially appreciate all of your comments and thoughts. Have a busy day today, so I'll be catching up with your streams as time allows this weekend. Have a great one!
Art house Leidse Rijn Utrecht Netherlands - 2004-2010
Stanley Brouwn - artist - idea
Bertus Mulder - architect - realization
On the crest of Mt. Washington, five miles from downtown Los Angeles, Paramahansa Yogananda established the Self-Realization Fellowship headquarters and meditation grounds in 1925. (Photo from 2013)
wearing:
#2Blueberry-Mykonos,Satin Robe,red rare. Sept.Arcade
#4Blueberry-Mykonos,Boot,Blk.rare,Sept.Arcade.
#13 Blueberry,Mykonos,panties red,common, Sept.Arcade.
#16Blueberry,mykonos,Armlorals,Sept.Arcade
#19Blueberry,Mykonos,Bra red.Sept,Arcade.
24Blueberry,Mykonos,Tiara,Gold.Sept.Arcade.
#9 Blueberry-Oakley,red wings. Main shop Gatcha.
"D!VA Hair "Hellen" Onyx -Oct.C88
I wanted to do an actual "Personal work" shot for once so I decided to work off an idea for a short film my friend and I had been planning. It hinges on that moment we encounter growing up in which we began to understand how mechanized our world really is, not in that it is a bad or good thing, but that it is mysterious to us when we are developing, that time in which we try to wrap our heads around such a vast and complex system is quite a pivotal moment that is often dismissed, despite the impact it has on our livelihood.
Strobist info,
430exii at 1/4th power with a 28" x 28" softbox to the right of camera facing the model
430exii at 1/8th power with a 28" x 28" softbox to the left of camera slightly over model
I've recently come to the realization that virtually all of these overpasses are "guarded" by tall fences, making it extremely difficult to take shots like this. For this shot, I had to precariously stand on a couple of the sidebars of the fence, reach my hands up and place the camera through a small opening in the fence about a half a foot above my head (prefocused) and shoot. Yeah, yeah, basically I'm making excuses about the OOF lamp post :lol:
Norita 66 + Noritar 80mm f2 + Kodak Portra 160NC, Jobo/Tetenal C-41 Press Kit self-develop
Rolleiflex Automat
Xenar 75mm f/3.5
Ilford XP2 400
Exposure: f/3.5, 1/8
Probably the most fascinating building in Las Vegas and it's not a casino. I deliberately scanned this underexposed with the dark areas and loss of details. A symbolic nod to what this building represents with it's architecture and the debilitating diseases of the brain that they fight there.
[ blog: Bright Lights and Vegas Nights ]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Ruvo_Center_for_Brain_Health
"Keep Memory Alive (also known as KMA) was founded by Larry Ruvo, senior managing partner of Southern Wines and Spirits, in memory of his father, Lou Ruvo, a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease, together with his wife Camille, Mirage Resorts CEO Bobby Baldwin,who also lost his father to Alzheimer's Disease, and Bobby Baldwin's wife Donna. KMA supports the mission of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and has held several star-studded galas, attended by celebrities and notables from around the world. It has become one of Las Vegas’ most important charity initiatives and a key participant in the nation fight against Alzheimer’s disease. Since its inception, the event has raised more than $20 million towards achieving its goal – the realization of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. Funds committed by such supporters as the Spector Family Foundation, the Roland and Terri Sturm Foundation, Steinberg Diagnostics, the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and America Online will be utilized for the construction and operation of this incredible state-of-the-art facility. The Center is planned to become a national resource for the most current research and scientific information for the treatment of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington 's Diseases, and ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) as well as focusing on prevention, early detection and education."
Trapped on either side of a door marked: DNA.... Beau and Keeks are reluctantly forced to confront and deal with the full and profound realization of being defined by their genetics. Keeks, no matter how much she might long for it, will never be able be to bark, piss on a hydrant or play with Dusty the donkey. Beau, realizes he can only snore, not purr; cannot jump four feet straight up to land on a kitchen cabinet to eat the butter; that his feces will forever sit out there for all to see (unless cleaned up by me...and he's okay with that). Ranting and railing at these realities do no good. Yes, Freedom is the recognition of necessity.....we must forge on with what we are given as best we can.....
But consciousness and full acceptance of facts like this often lead to confusion, sadness, ultimately to despair and alcoholism (as they have with me)....this image captures that moment where their world tips into that realization........
Hey, Little One...I can't lie. I'm terrified to be your mom. There is so much I need to learn about raising you from within my womb until you are an adult. But I'm willing to try and I'm ready to meet you.
something strange.....is happening to me.....
something more.....than my two eyes can see.....
Johnny Rivers "Realization" 1969
Music from my hippy-psychadelic period.
Name: Kraanspoor
City: Amsterdam
Architect(s): OTH (Ontwerpgroep Trude Hooykaas bv)
realization: 2007
Kraanspoor (translated as craneway) is a light-weight transparent office building of three floors built on top of a concrete craneway on the grounds of the former NDSM (Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij) shipyard, a relic of Amsterdam’s shipping industry. This industrial monument, built in 1952, has a length of 270 meters, a height of 13,5 meters and a width of 8,7 meters. A street length and width. The new construction on top is the same 270 meters long, with a width of 13,8 meters, accentuates the length of Kraanspoor and the phenomenal expansive view of the river IJ. Fully respecting its foundation, the building is lifted by slender steel columns 3 meters above the crane way, appearing to float above the impressive concrete colossus.
The challenge of the design for OTH was to utilize the maximum allowable load of the existing craneway. The concrete craneway functions as a foundation, and carries the maximum possible weight of a three storey building, with an asymmetrical overhang on the water-side; this is due to the heavier load barring function for the former revolving cranes that cantilevered to this side. The light-weight building of steel construction made the light-weight floors necessary. By using a hollow Infra+ floor system, the piping and wiring are tucked away in the floor allowing for a maximum clear height.
The glass building is clear and simple in plan. The newly built construction is characterized by its transparent double-skin climate façade of glass: the outer layer of moveable motor-driven glass louvers appear as lace-work around the building, the inner façade is of hinged timber windows with a full height from office floor to ceiling. This climate façade allows natural ventilation of the offices and acts as a buffer against heat in the summer and cold in the winter. The concrete Infra+ underfloor of only 70mm allows for concrete core activity. The water from the IJ river is pumped up and used for heating as well as cooling via a water pump.
The pre-existing facilities have been utilised in the building’s new function. The former four old stairwells still remain as entrance to the building and are foreseen with panorama lifts and new stairs. The two gangways/catwalks alongside the concrete craneway function as fire-escape routes. In the heart of the original concrete structure, underneath the new structure, is extensive archive/storage space.
"A seamless combination of old and new – industrial heritage and modern architecture in which the waterways are restored and the slipway determines the orientation. The entire place with its shipping industrial past has an intense energy. The object is to intertwine the old with the new, to preserve history, and not loose this energy.
The wharf is dead? – Long live the wharf."
text: www.archdaily.com
I just realized that most of my pictures are in the doorway of a hotel room. I'm always standing there like I'm waiting for someone to knock or getting ready to go out. Why? Well simple really, as a traveling girl I do most of my dressing and photo taking while on the road in a hotel. With limited space the doorway seems to be as good a spot as any, although I don't always like that there is a sign on the door. Oh well, what's a girl to do?
4-26-10 photo of the day on www.photovotr.com/
Possibly the closest I have ever come to acheiving what I saw in my mind when I started manipulating in photoshop!
3 manipulation steps only.....
cropped
1 filter - faded 9%
reduce highlight levels by -4
The Universe ❤ ツ
You may be familiar with much of the information presented here, either intellectually or intuitively, or perhaps you may be aware of different pieces of the puzzle. In any case, you may also discover something new or gain valuable insights as your subconscious connects the dots. Once you begin to assimilate and apply this knowledge your life will never be the same again. You will begin to view, perceive and experience reality in an entirely new, very liberating way.
When you become aware of the true nature of reality, you will begin to understand who you truly are and how the universal laws affect your life and the world around you. With this realization comes a certain degree of responsibility as you will no longer be oblivious to the fact that you are in complete control of your life experience and what this truly means. This new understanding of Life, the Universe and the laws that govern it is the key to your true freedom. All of this wisdom already exists within you as innate knowledge encoded in your DNA. It contains all of the information related to who you truly are, your past lives, your galactic and spiritual heritage and all of the information relating to your individual evolution as a light being. Your understanding of the information presented here will vary depending on your level of activation or spiritual development. The further you progress on your quest, the greater the responsibility in terms of applying what you are learning to your life and the world around you.
The first thing you need to be aware of is your personal belief system. Your belief system has been shaped by the various thought forms and emotions you have experienced since early childhood right up to the present day. There are also thought forms from your earliest ancestors and your past lives encoded within your DNA (cellular memory) which also affect your belief system. Your belief system encompasses more than just religion or spiritual beliefs, it is your understanding of the world around you and how you experience or interpret your reality. Everyone is entitled to their belief system and the information presented here is open to your interpretation. If you do not agree with something or you feel it doesn't fit with your belief system simply discard it. All you need to do is approach the information with an open heart and an open mind.
The Energetic Universe ❤ ツ
Everything that we can see and all that we can't exists as a form of energy. The entire universe and all of creation is a manifestation of this energy. Even the dense human form is constructed from this universal energy, from the highly energetic particles we call atoms. Science has shown the structure of an atom to be mostly space with a few tiny particles thrown in, which are in turn made up of even smaller particles. All physical matter is well over 90% pure space. The rest is resonating Light patterned by consciousness. It is all Light.
Scientifically speaking, Einstein’s theory of relativity E=mc² demonstrates how energy and mass (matter) are equivalent and transmutable. As you approach the speed of light you are converted into pure energy. If we go beyond the physical universe, into the microscopic universe, past the cells that make up our bodies, past the molecules which make up our cells, into the atomic and subatomic realms, the lines of reality begin to blur. No longer are objects seemingly separate from ourselves, everything becomes a sea of atoms and sub atomic particles. An integrated ocean of pure energy. From this comes the understanding that we are all connected with everything. This is one of the fundamental concepts that need to be understood in order to disconnect yourself from the illusion of a reality of separation. We are all one.
The Multi-Dimensional Universe ❤ ツ
Our universe contains many different dimensions superimposed over one another. These dimensions are separated from each other along different octaves determined by the rate of vibration of light. It is similar in concept to the musical scale. As the strings generating music vibrate at different levels they produce different harmonics and sounds. The greater the vibration of light, the higher you move through the dimensional levels eventually returning to the source, or God.
As an analogy: picture an onion and all of its layers in your mind. The whole onion represents God, and its different layers represent the different dimensions that make up our universe. Each dimension or layer exists separately to the others yet all are still part of the whole. In reality all of the dimensions co-exist simultaneously over lapping each other however each level is clearly defined and only accessible via a certain light pattern or vibration.
Everything exists as a form of energy and has a vibration associated with it. Your physical body, which is really made of light, is vibrating at a specific frequency. The higher your vibration, the greater your expansion as you shed density towards becoming pure energy. As you lower your vibration you descend further into density. It is important for you to understand that different emotional states trigger vibrational changes within the human being. There are only two core emotions that we feel, these being the emotions of Love and Fear. Every other emotion we experience comes from these two basic emotions. Fear produces a lower frequency or vibration within you where as Love produces a higher frequency or rapid vibration. This is another key concept that needs to be understood in order for spiritual progression. It is very important to practice the art of unconditional love in your life, as this raises your frequency or vibration allowing you to access the higher dimensions, taking you closer to Spirit. All of our spiritual teachers and masters throughout history have urged us to love one another… Why ? Because the vibration of love is the core harmonic/pattern of our bodies. It turn us ON in regenerative ways, where as fear turns us OFF in degenerative ways.
There is only Love and Light, they are one and the same, they represent Spirit. Everything starts from Spirit as pure love and light. As you begin to lower your light vibration you begin to seemingly separate from this source, downward through the dimensions towards the other end of the scale, deeper into density (less light energy), darkness (less light) and fear (less love). You can never totally separate from the source as you are a fragment of Spirit.
Each of the dimensional levels in our universe have different universal laws affecting them. Trying to understand the higher dimensions is impossible from the context and perspective of our third dimensional existence in limited consciousness. During waking reality you exist on the third dimension. In actual fact you are a multi-dimensional being existing on a number of levels all at once, however you are only aware of this 3rd dimensional existence which constitutes the physical world around us. You are a transitional being living a human life on the planet Earth. When your physical body dies you don't actually go anywhere, however you do move into a higher dimension, in your Astral Body. You transition from the 3rd dimension into the 4th, which is where you will find the astral plane. Funnily enough, the 4th dimension is also where you go every single night when you go to sleep! This transition is not new to you, it is your true home.
Take a moment to process this information. This is how you can still see loved ones that have crossed over in your dreams. In reality they can visit you while you’re in the 3rd dimensional waking state at any time and they can see you but you can’t see them for they exist in a higher vibration in a higher dimension. It's simillar to the electro-magnetic spectrum where we can only see the frequencies of visible light, the rest (infra-red, microwave, ultra violet, X-rays, Gamma Rays, Cosmic Rays) are invisible to us. They permeate everything but we cannot see them. Remember that all the dimensions overlap. It is possible to access the higher dimensions through your consciousness, using natural psychic abilities, but your ability to interpret and manipulate the energy around you is limited by your belief system. You must believe in something before it can become a reality.
Now you can begin to understand some of the differences between the 3rd dimension and the 4th. When you are dreaming you are not bound by the same physical (universal) laws as you are here in this dimension. You are immortal, able to fly, teleport, walk through walls, change your physical appearance, look at an object from all sides at once, and experience the world in a totally different way, which is often why dreams often don't make sense when you wake up and put them back into a 3D box. When you are dreaming your subconscious mind is running the show, however it is possible for you to consciously experience the 4th dimension, through thought/astral projection, lucid dreaming, physical ascension or death.
You are in complete control of every aspect of your life experience here on Earth. Before you incarnate you predetermine several exit windows, or opportunities for you to potentially terminate your incarnation. During the course of your life certain events may happen where you are involved in an accident, or you become ill, when you have the opportunity to evaluate your progress on a higher level and make the choice to continue or leave. The third dimension or life is a great school where you have the ability to learn many valuable lessons and accelerate your progress very quickly, while in this state of amnesia. When you terminate your incarnation and decide to leave you re-enter Earth's incarnational cycle. When you are ready you will reincarnate back onto the Earth and continue your spiritual evolution. The Earth has shifted to a new energy and the time is approaching for the entire planet and her inhabitants to experience a new level of reality. We are heading towards the 5th dimension (physical/planetary ascension). We will not be skipping the 4th; we have already spent much time there in between incarnations, it is our true home.
Consciousness ❤ ツ
Everything is connected! There is only one Reality and one God, but there are many, many ways that the one Reality can be interpreted. In fact, the number of ways to interpret the Reality are just about infinite. There are certain realities that many people have agreed on, and these realities are called levels of consciousness. There are realities that extremely large numbers of beings are focusing on, which include the one you and I are experiencing right now. At one time we existed on Earth in a very high level of awareness that was far beyond anything we can even imagine now. We hardly have even the capability to imagine where we once were, because who we were then is so out of context with who we are now. Because of the events that happened between 16,000 and 13,000 years ago, humanity fell from that very high place through many dimensions and overtones, ever increasing in density, until we reached this particular place, which we call the third dimension on planet Earth, the modern world.
Our consciousness is not stored in the body or the brain. When you understanding that, you begin to realise that there is a common spiritual bond between all things in the universe, and that we are all part of the one divine intelligence. Your consciousness can be viewed as existing in two parts, as the individual and the group. You are most familiar with your individual consciousness in this reality of separation which creates the illusion that you are inside a body looking out into the world at everything around you that is separate from yourself. However, your consciousness is also connected to the group, or mass consciousness of every human on the planet (which is then connected to the mass consciousness of the Earth, which is connected to the solar system, connected to the central sun of the galaxy, all the way back to unity consciousness with Source or God). Consciousness is the force that connects the spiritual realms with the physical creation.
Consciousness is the seat of the soul, and the source of all creation. Consciousness is what moulds and creates our reality. Scientifically this is demonstrated in quantum physics. The Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that the mere act of looking at an object will change its state from what it originally was, not enabling us to see its original state. Another experiment that demonstrates how conscious throughts affect our reality was performed by Japanese researcher Dr. Masaru Emoto. He devised a technique to photograph water crystals and essentially capture the state of the water which had been affected by conscious thoughts, feelings and emotions. He separated the water into bottles, and on each bottle was taped a message, such as “I love you”, “I hate you”, and “You make me sick, I will kill you”. After a period of time the water was frozen then examined. The resultant formation of the water crystals matched the energetic structure of the messages. The messages of love created elaborate crystals with beautiful symmetry, while the messages of hate generated crystals of no form, dysfunction, and distress. This is more tangible proof that thoughts and feelings affect physical reality/matter. What is interesting to note here is that the human body is over 70% water. If thoughts and feelings could affect water like that, imagine what our thoughts and feelings are doing to us. Consciousness is what binds our universe together and it is what creates our reality.
“The whole history of science has been the gradual realization that events do not happen in an arbitrary manner, but that they reflect a certain underlying order” Stephen W. Hawking. This unified field of consciousness and energy is our concept of Spirit. The conscious living universe exists on an unimaginable scale. In this reality of separation most of us are preoccupied with daily life, and the "external" world we see with our eyes. It’s not often we raise our thoughts above this to the higher consciousness which makes up our universe, and the realization that we are all from the same source and that we are all connected.
How Big is God? ❤ ツ
I want you to imagine the Atlantic Ocean. It's huge! Yet this ocean has a oneness about it. This entire ocean is pulled as one object by the moon. Seemingly as one entity, it bulges gently and causes tides and waters to be pushed and pulled on beaches thousands of miles apart. If you study the tides and the currents, you might wonder how there could be a system where the ocean seems to respond as though it were one consciousness. It seems to coordinate itself in many ways, yet it's made of trillions of parts called water molecules.
Now here's the metaphor: The ocean is made of water, which is the water molecule you know as H2O. So I want you to visualize in your mind how many molecules there are in the ocean! I'll give you a moment to count them.
You can't do it, can you? It's an unbelievably large number, understandable only by math. It's too big to imagine, so notations in mathematics would be given that only the mathematicians can truly grasp. It would be a number that would be so large that it would be out of your view as a Human.
Now, imagine (in this metaphor) that each one of those molecules is an angel. In addition (just to make this more complex), somehow these trillions and trillions of molecules know one another! They all know each other at a quantum level... it's a system where what happens to one of them happens to them all - at the same time. Somehow they're all connected. One knows the other no matter how many thousands of miles apart they are within the ocean. Can you imagine such a connection?
Consider the ocean in this metaphor for a moment, to be what you think of as God. God is not one thing, but a combination of trillions of parts of angelic consciousness (the ocean). Contemplate just how big this would be to a molecule! Now take a small glass of water, fill it almost to the top with a little of this enormous ocean, then let it bob around in a gentle way on the ocean's surface. For this metaphor, the glass of water is planet Earth.
Now I want you to notice something: The glass is filled with water from the ocean. Are you starting to understand? Whatever the ocean means to you, it's also in the glass. In fact, if you were in the glass, and you were a molecule of H2O, you wouldn't be able to see through the glass clearly. In fact, you wouldn't even know that the ocean existed. Yet you'd be pushed and pulled and bobbed around just as though you were part of the ocean.
Without the knowledge of this vast ocean, you wouldn't truly know who you were. You wouldn't even know you were an H2O molecule. When you looked around spiritually, you might say, "Well, it looks like the wall of our water glass is the limit. We're contained by the glass and we can't see anything beyond it. We can't see outside! In addition, there's no evidence that there's anyone beyond the glass. So we'll turn inward and examine only ourselves." This is the earth.
But if the glass contains ocean water, this means that the glass actually contains angels [according to the metaphor]! But in this case, they're angels that don't seem to know that they're angels. There seems to be total isolation, and disconnected from everything except what's going on in the glass of water. The water in the glass can't even see how big the ocean is... if they even believe there is one. Oh, they can look at the stars and appreciate the Universe, but they can't see through the glass to really see how big God is.
Yet there's something interesting going on here. There's a mass intuition. At the centre of every molecule, somehow they know that there's something bigger than themselves. It's intuitive, and all throughout the glass it's felt. Here is a fact of your humanness: Eighty-five percent of humanity believes in the afterlife. Hundreds of religions, developed independently at many times and places in history, all have something in common: They believe that when you leave Earth, you go somewhere else!
Now, 85 percent would be an amazing number if you were doing a political poll! It's more than a majority - it's a mandate of consciousness. And so at the cellular level, the Human Being knows that there's something beyond the glass. Even though there's no entity that can prove it, the belief continues through the ages and into the future, and men and women continue to die in battle defending their belief that beyond the glass is their own God.
Eighty-five percent of the people on the earth can't all have the same thought and have it be a coincidence, or just wishful thinking. At some level, you not only know about the ocean on the other side of the glass, but you also know about the family who's there... trillions and trillions of them. If you could only know more! That's the spiritual quest that often drives Human cultures and even wars, where one side believes that their God is better than the other. Therefore, they kill each other to rid the planet of "wrong thinking." Odd, isn't it, how the unseen actually postures governments, shapes countries, and creates wars? That's a lot of effort and energy spent on "wishful thinking."
We stop and apologize for having to use metaphors so often, but we must give you this information in this fashion to even get to the next step of the teaching. And so I'm going to stop for a moment and ask you this question: Do you see how amazing this system is?
How big is God? ❤ ツ
Big enough to have created multiple Universes - trillions and trillions of angelic entities, stretching farther than you can imagine - levels of dimensionality that you cannot conceive of. Bigger than big!
Yet small enough to love you and live in your heart.
What is the perception, therefore, of God? Looking at it from the outside of the glass, it's actually quite amusing for us [Kryon]. Let me tell you what happens: The molecules in the glass [Human-angels] start to look around and wonder about everything. As discussed, they believe in the afterlife. Therefore, they feel there must be a God somewhere. Then they decide from the depths of their wisdom that God must be a giant molecule! Why? Because it's the only thing they can see. They have only one model - themselves. Then they say that there's proof of this, since scripture says so. In just one example, there's Holy Scripture that says that you're "made in the image of God." Now, if you're a molecule, God must therefore be a giant molecule, too, since, if you believe scripture, you look just like God.
How can I tell you this, dear one? This is the premise we've taught from the beginning that's so difficult for you to grasp. You have it reversed! Your logic is reversed. You don't understand this because you can't broach the glass. "Made in His image" means that every single molecule in the glass is part of the ocean! You have it backwards, you see. God's "image" is the mastery of the Universe. It's the divinity of the angelic realm, and it is indeed your image. The "image" is inside you.
It's interesting that Humans can only imagine the highest thing in their own reality. And so those in the glass, for thousands of years, have decided that God is a molecule. Pictures of God are Human-like, and all the angels are, too. Every time an angel appears on Earth, those who create the history of the event have to put skin and wings on them, pretend they're of singular nature, and give them one name. This is very funny! For angels are interdimensional, without wings or Human form, and they always have a "group" attribute. That's because they represent the consciousness of the whole ocean. But in order for Humans to grasp their visit, they're brought to the Human form and level.
You see how limited that is? Think of it... if that glass contained only anteaters, they would have chosen to say that God must be a large anteater! Then they'd go on to say, "When I get to heaven, there will be lots of ants!" Amusing, isn't it? But that's not very different from what most Humans do. You've been told that when you go to heaven, there will be streets of gold - mansions for each one of you. Some cultures believe that you'll be met by 72 virgins [just the men qualify for this, of course]. Do you see what I'm saying? You can only go to the limit of the wall of the glass based on your spiritual thinking and your own reality. Your idea of what God must be and what heaven must be is contained in, and limited to, your own Human experience.
The truth? There are no streets or mansions (or Human virgins) when you get to the other side of the glass. What there is, is a splendorous reality that you instantly remember. There is expansion, and you become the part of God that you always were, and all is known. You go home! In this metaphor, the wall of the glass is the veil. You can't see through it, and you never actually see the ocean [God]. So everything you conceive of isn't much bigger than the glass, and that's what you decide to worship. You worship what you can't see, thinking that whatever that force is on the other side of the glass, it has to be wiser and bigger than you. What you don't understand is the actual test you're in that creates this.
Can angels, sequestered in the glass, eventually discover the truth about who they are? Will they ever acknowledge that they're part of the ocean? Or will they eventually kill each other trying to reach the streets of gold or the 72 virgins? This is what the Kryon work is about. We're here because there's an awakening... a great shift... and humanity is beginning to see through the glass. Let me make a statement. There's nothing to worship; there's everything to discover. It's time you thought interdimensionally.
But let's stop for a moment. Look at the system and all that it represents. God is huge - immense. The ocean stretches for trillions of light years, through quantum Universes and multiverses, yet the angels all know each other. How can this be? It's the staple of an interdimensional existence... that everything is connected, yet seemingly separate and removed by distance. Spread through the Universe is a hugeness you cannot imagine, but since the angels are all connected in real time, every single one of them knows your name! You see?
How big is God? ❤ ツ
Big enough to have created the Universe... yet small enough to know your name - small enough to be here today - small enough to be next to you as you read these words.
Spinchat Healing - the Gifted Revolution
www.spinchat.com/group/Healing_-_Meditation_-_Karma_-_Spi...
We stopped along the road to enjoy the scenery when I noticed a larger yellow bird off on a tree near us. It was a western tanager - a bird I had never seen before. What a great spot for bird watching. Wonderful drive and hike up Flagstaff Mountain to the west of Boulder, Colorado late on Saturday June 3rd, 2023. The outdoor spaces near Boulder are definitely worth the trip and live up to their billing. Visiting Rocky Mountain National Park and Boulder, Colorado with my son for a few days. What an amazing place. Pictures from June 3rd, 2023.