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Like many members of the family Sciuridae, the eastern gray squirrel is a scatter-hoarder; it hoards food in numerous small caches for later recovery. Some caches are quite temporary, especially those made near the site of a sudden abundance of food which can be retrieved within hours or days for reburial in a more secure site. Others are more permanent and are not retrieved until months later. Each squirrel is estimated to make several thousand caches each season. The squirrels have very accurate spatial memory for the locations of these caches, and use distant and nearby landmarks to retrieve them. Smell is used once the squirrel is within a few inches of the cache
Squirrels have been known to pretend to bury the object if they feel that they are being watched. They do this by preparing the spot as usual, for instance digging a hole or widening a crack, miming the placement of the food, while actually concealing it in their mouths, and then covering up the "cache" as if they had deposited the object
The eastern gray squirrel is one of very few mammalian species that can descend a tree head-first. It does this by turning its feet so the claws of its hind paws are backward pointing and can grip the tree bark.
Eastern gray squirrels build a type of nest, known as a "drey", in the forks of trees, consisting mainly of dry leaves and twigs. Males and females may share the same nest for short times during the breeding season and during cold winter spells squirrels may share a drey to stay warm. They may also nest in the attic or exterior walls of a house, where they may be regarded as pests, and as fire hazards due to their habit of gnawing on electrical cables (see Tree squirrel for more on interactions with humans). In addition, squirrels may inhabit a permanent tree den hollowed out in the trunk or a large branch of a tree.
Eastern gray squirrels are crepuscular, or more active during the early and late hours of the day, and tend to avoid the heat in the middle of a summer day. They do not hibernate.
Eastern gray squirrels can start breeding as early as five and a half months old, but usually breed for the first time at the age of one. These squirrels can live to be 20 years old in captivity, but in the wild usually only live up to 12.5 years.
Eastern gray squirrels generally prefer constructing their dens upon large tree branches and within the hollow trunks of trees. They also have been known to take shelter within abandoned bird nests. The dens are usually lined with moss plants, thistledown, dried grass, and feathers. These perhaps provide and assist in the insulation of the den, used to reduce heat loss. A cover to the den is usually built afterwards
All copied and pasted from the following link en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_gray_squirrel
Quark Chromosphere 2015_11_01
Single 750 frame video (best 7%, drizzled x 1.5)
900mm Equinox 120ED refractor with Quark Chromosphere
(2 clicks to right)
PGR Grasshopper 3 CCD camera with 0.5 x focal reducer
Hinode guider
This is really the first time Ive got the Chromosphere working well for surface features. Hydrogen alpha shows intense activity towards the trailing edge of the sunspot group with some nice filaments between spots.
My settings were (Firecapture 2.4)
Gain 156
Exposure 28.57 ms
Gamma 1051
Fountains Abbey is one of the largest and best preserved ruined Cistercian monasteries in England. It is located approximately 3 miles (5 kilometres) south-west of Ripon in North Yorkshire, near to the village of Aldfield. Founded in 1132, the abbey operated for 407 years becoming one of the wealthiest monasteries in England until its dissolution in 1539 under the order of Henry VIII.
The abbey is a Grade I listed building owned by the National Trust and part of the designated Studley Royal Park including the Ruins of Fountains Abbey UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Foundation
After a dispute and riot in 1132 at the Benedictine house of St Mary's Abbey, in York, 13 monks were expelled (among them Saint Robert of Newminster) and, after unsuccessful attempts to form a new monastery were taken under the protection of Thurstan, Archbishop of York. He provided them with land in the valley of the River Skell, a tributary of the Ure. The enclosed valley had all the natural features needed for the creation of a monastery, providing shelter from the weather, stone and timber for building, and a supply of running water. After enduring a harsh winter in 1133, the monks applied to join the Cistercian order which since the end of the previous century was a fast-growing reform movement that by the beginning of the 13th century was to have over 500 houses. So it was that in 1135, Fountains became the second Cistercian house in northern England, after Rievaulx. The Fountains monks became subject to Clairvaux Abbey, in Burgundy which was under the rule of St Bernard. Under the guidance of Geoffrey of Ainai, a monk sent from Clairvaux, the group learned how to celebrate the seven Canonical Hours according to Cistercian usage and were shown how to construct wooden buildings in accordance with Cistercian practice.
Consolidation
After Henry Murdac was elected abbot in 1143, the small stone church and timber claustral buildings were replaced. Within three years, an aisled nave had been added to the stone church, and the first permanent claustral buildings built in stone and roofed in tile had been completed.
In 1146 an angry mob, annoyed at Murdac for his role in opposing the election of William FitzHerbert as archbishop of York, attacked the abbey and burnt down all but the church and some surrounding buildings.The community recovered swiftly from the attack and founded four daughter houses. Henry Murdac resigned as abbot in 1147 upon becoming the Archbishop of York and was replaced first by Maurice, Abbot of Rievaulx then, on the resignation of Maurice, by Thorald. Thorald was forced by Henry Murdac to resign after two years in office. The next abbot, Richard, held the post until his death in 1170 and restored the abbey's stability and prosperity. In 20 years as abbot, he supervised a huge building programme which involved completing repairs to the damaged church and building more accommodation for the increasing number of recruits. Only the chapter house was completed before he died and the work was ably continued by his successor, Robert of Pipewell, under whose rule the abbey gained a reputation for caring for the needy.
The next abbot was William, who presided over the abbey from 1180 to 1190 and he was succeeded by Ralph Haget, who had entered Fountains at the age of 30 as a novice, after pursuing a military career. During the European famine of 1194 Haget ordered the construction of shelters in the vicinity of the abbey and provided daily food rations to the poor enhancing the abbey's reputation for caring for the poor and attracting more grants from wealthy benefactors.
In the first half of the 13th century Fountains increased in reputation and prosperity under the next three abbots, John of York (1203–1211), John of Hessle (1211–1220) and John of Kent (1220–1247). They were burdened with an inordinate amount of administrative duties and increasing demands for money in taxation and levies but managed to complete another massive expansion of the abbey's buildings. This included enlarging the church and building an infirmary.
Difficulties
In the second half of the 13th century the abbey was in more straitened circumstances. It was presided over by eleven abbots, and became financially unstable largely due to forward selling its wool crop, and the abbey was criticised for its dire material and physical state when it was visited by Archbishop John le Romeyn in 1294. The run of disasters that befell the community continued into the early 14th century when northern England was invaded by the Scots and there were further demands for taxes. The culmination of these misfortunes was the Black Death of 1348–1349. The loss of manpower and income due to the ravages of the plague was almost ruinous.
A further complication arose as a result of the Papal Schism of 1378–1409. Fountains Abbey along with other English Cistercian houses was told to break off any contact with the mother house of Citeaux, which supported a rival pope. This resulted in the abbots forming their own chapter to rule the order in England and consequently they became increasingly involved in internecine politics. In 1410, following the death of Abbot Burley of Fountains, the community was riven by several years of turmoil over the election of his successor. Contending candidates John Ripon, Abbot of Meaux, and Roger Frank, a monk of Fountains were locked in conflict until 1415 when Ripon was finally appointed, ruling until his death in 1434. Under abbots John Greenwell (1442–1471), Thomas Swinton (1471–8), John Darnton (1478–95), who undertook some much needed restoration of the fabric of the abbey, including notable work on the church, and Marmaduke Huby (1495–1526) Fountains regained stability and prosperity.
At Abbot Huby's death he was succeeded by William Thirsk who was accused by the royal commissioners of immorality and inadequacy and was dismissed as abbot. He was replaced by Marmaduke Bradley, a monk of the abbey who had reported Thirsk's supposed offences, testified against him and offered the authorities six hundred marks for the post of abbot. In 1539 it was Bradley who surrendered the abbey when its seizure was ordered under Henry VIII at the Dissolution of the Monasteries.
The abbey precinct covered 70 acres (28 ha) surrounded by an 11-foot (3.4 m) wall built in the 13th century, some parts of which are visible to the south and west of the abbey. The area consists of three concentric zones cut by the River Skell flowing from west to east across the site. The church and claustral buildings stand at the centre of the precinct north of the Skell, the inner court containing the domestic buildings stretches down to the river and the outer court housing the industrial and agricultural buildings lies on the river's south bank. The early abbey buildings were added to and altered over time, causing deviations from the strict Cistercian type. Outside the walls were the abbey's granges.[citation needed]
The original abbey church was built of wood and "was probably" two stories high; it was, however, quickly replaced in stone. The church was damaged in the attack on the abbey in 1146 and was rebuilt, in a larger scale, on the same site. Building work was completed c.1170.[11] This structure, completed around 1170, was 300 ft (91 m) long and had 11 bays in the side aisles. A lantern tower was added at the crossing of the church in the late 12th century. The presbytery at the eastern end of the church was much altered in the 13th century. The church's greatly lengthened choir, commenced by Abbot John of York, 1203–11, and carried on by his successor terminates, like that of Durham Cathedral, in an eastern transept, the work of Abbot John of Kent, 1220–47. The 160-foot-tall (49 m) tower, which was added not long before the dissolution, by Abbot Huby, 1494–1526, is in an unusual position at the northern end of the north transept and bears Huby's motto 'Soli Deo Honor et Gloria'. The sacristry adjoined the south transept.
The cloister, which had arcading of black marble from Nidderdale and white sandstone, is in the centre of the precinct and to the south of the church. The three-aisled chapter-house and parlour open from the eastern walk of the cloister and the refectory, with the kitchen and buttery attached, are at right angles to its southern walk. Parallel with the western walk is an immense vaulted substructure serving as cellars and store-rooms, which supported the dormitory of the conversi (lay brothers) above. This building extended across the river and at its south-west corner were the latrines, built above the swiftly flowing stream. The monks' dormitory was in its usual position above the chapter-house, to the south of the transept. Peculiarities of this arrangement include the position of the kitchen, between the refectory and calefactory, and of the infirmary above the river to the west, adjoining the guest-houses.
The abbot's house, one of the largest in all of England,is located to the east of the latrine block, where portions of it are suspended on arches over the River Skell.It was built in the mid-twelfth century as a modest single-storey structure, then, from the fourteenth century, underwent extensive expansion and remodelling to end up in the 16th century as a grand dwelling with fine bay windows and grand fireplaces. The great hall was an expansive room 52 by 21 metres (171 by 69 ft).
Among other apartments, for the designation of which see the ground-plan, was a domestic oratory or chapel,
1/2-by-23-foot (14 by 7 m), and a kitchen, 50-by-38-foot (15 by 12 m)
Medieval monasteries were sustained by landed estates that were given to them as endowments and from which they derived an income from rents. They were the gifts of the founder and subsequent patrons, but some were purchased from cash revenues. At the outset, the Cistercian order rejected gifts of mills and rents, churches with tithes and feudal manors as they did not accord with their belief in monastic purity, because they involved contact with laymen. When Archbishop Thurstan founded the abbey he gave the community 260 acres (110 ha) of land at Sutton north of the abbey and 200 acres (81 ha) at Herleshowe to provide support while the abbey became established. In the early years the abbey struggled to maintain itself because further gifts were not forthcoming and Thurstan could not help further because the lands he administered were not his own, but part of the diocesan estate. After a few years of impoverished struggle to establish the abbey, the monks were joined by Hugh, a former dean of York Minster, a rich man who brought a considerable fortune as well as furniture and books to start the library.
By 1135 the monks had acquired only another 260 acres (110 ha) at Cayton, given by Eustace fitzJohn of Knaresborough "for the building of the abbey". Shortly after the fire of 1146, the monks had established granges at Sutton, Cayton, Cowton Moor, Warsill, Dacre and Aldburgh all within 6 mi (10 km) of Fountains. In the 1140s the water mill was built on the abbey site making it possible for the grain from the granges to be brought to the abbey for milling.Tannery waste from this time has been excavated on the site.
Further estates were assembled in two phases, between 1140 and 1160 then 1174 and 1175, from piecemeal acquisitions of land. Some of the lands were grants from benefactors but others were purchased from gifts of money to the abbey. Roger de Mowbray granted vast areas of Nidderdale and William de Percy and his tenants granted substantial estates in Craven which included Malham Moor and the fishery in Malham Tarn. After 1203 the abbots consolidated the abbey's lands by renting out more distant areas that the monks could not easily farm themselves, and exchanging and purchasing lands that complemented their existing estates. Fountains' holdings both in Yorkshire and beyond had reached their maximum extent by 1265, when they were an efficient and very profitable estate. Their estates were linked in a network of individual granges which provided staging posts to the most distant ones. They had urban properties in York, Yarm, Grimsby, Scarborough and Boston from which to conduct export and market trading and their other commercial interests included mining, quarrying, iron-smelting, fishing and milling.
The Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 was a factor that led to a downturn in the prosperity of the abbey in the early fourteenth century. Areas of the north of England as far south as York were looted by the Scots. Then the number of lay-brothers being recruited to the order reduced considerably. The abbey chose to take advantage of the relaxation of the edict on leasing property that had been enacted by the General Chapter of the order in 1208 and leased some of their properties. Others were staffed by hired labour and remained in hand under the supervision of bailiffs. In 1535 Fountains had an interest in 138 vills and the total taxable income of the Fountains estate was £1,115, making it the richest Cistercian monastery in England.
After the Dissolution
The Gresham family crest
The Abbey buildings and over 500 acres (200 ha) of land were sold by the Crown, on 1 October 1540, to Sir Richard Gresham, at the time a Member of Parliament and former Lord Mayor of London, the father of Sir Thomas Gresham. It was Richard Gresham who had supplied Cardinal Wolsey with the tapestries for his new house of Hampton Court and who paid for the Cardinal's funeral.
Gresham sold some of the fabric of the site, stone, timber, lead, as building materials to help to defray the cost of purchase. The site was acquired in 1597 by Sir Stephen Proctor, who used stone from the monastic complex to build Fountains Hall. Between 1627 and 1767 the estate was owned by the Messenger family who sold it to William Aislaby who was responsible for combining it with the Studley Royal Estate.
Burials
Roger de Mowbray, 1st Baron Mowbray
John de Mowbray, 2nd Baron Mowbray
Abbot Marmaduke Huby (d. 1526)
Rose (daughter of Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Gloucester), wife of Roger de Mowbray, 1st Baron Mowbray
Henry de Percy, 1st Baron Percy
William II de Percy, 3rd feudal baron of Topcliffe
Becoming a World Heritage Site
The archaeological excavation of the site was begun under the supervision of John Richard Walbran, a Ripon antiquary who, in 1846, had published a paper On the Necessity of clearing out the Conventual Church of Fountains.In 1966 the Abbey was placed in the guardianship of the Department of the Environment and the estate was purchased by the West Riding County Council who transferred ownership to the North Yorkshire County Council in 1974. The National Trust bought the 674-acre (273 ha) Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate from North Yorkshire County Council in 1983. In 1986 the parkland in which the abbey is situated and the abbey was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. It was recognised for fulfilling the criteria of being a masterpiece of human creative genius, and an outstanding example of a type of building or architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates significant stages in human history. Fountains Abbey is owned by the National Trust and maintained by English Heritage. The trust owns Studley Royal Park, Fountains Hall, to which there is partial public access, and St Mary's Church, designed by William Burges and built around 1873, all of which are significant features of the World Heritage Site.
The Porter's Lodge, which was once the gatehouse to the abbey, houses a modern exhibition area with displays about the history of Fountains Abbey and how the monks lived.
In January 2010, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal became two of the first National Trust properties to be included in Google Street View, using the Google Trike.
Film location
Fountains Abbey was used as a film location by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark for their single "Maid of Orleans (The Waltz Joan of Arc)" during the cold winter of December 1981. In 1980, Hollywood also came to the site to film the final scenes to the film Omen III: The Final Conflict.Other productions filmed on location at the abbey are the films Life at the Top, The Secret Garden, The History Boys, TV series Flambards, A History of Britain, Terry Jones' Medieval Lives, Cathedral, Antiques Roadshow and the game show Treasure Hunt. The BBC Television series 'Gunpowder' (2017) used Fountains Abbey as a location.
Wheels:
19x9.5 ET22 Front
18x11 ET44 Rear
Tires: Toyo R888r
265/35-18 front (customer notes some rubbing. Additional negative camber or 265/30-19 tires will reduce/eliminate this)
305/35-18 rear - no rubbing reported.
Lowered on Ohlins R&T coilovers roughly 1 inch all the way around.
Owner: www.instagram.com/slowm2c/
I have been listening to my 301 in a Jarrah (I think) plinth for a the last 6 months or so (god - maybe longer) while I have been tweaking the 401's plinth to try and get rid of some resonance issues with it. Or should I say, while it was sitting there waiting for me to do it. But I finally finished it, and it sat for a while longer waiting for some parts that abarth dropped over - namly the Pete Riggle VTAF and his OL Silver arm - so we could do a straight A/B with as many of the same components as possible.
So, rather than changing arms and risk my cantilever (again), I decided to just mount abarth's VTAF bushing and vertical guide onto the arm board, and then just slot my arm in. This also saved a bunch of time as this part took about 10 minutes - and the cantilever's alignment was dead on! I just had to adjust the overhang about 0.6 mm (pats self on back). All up, about an hours job.
I am using the Rollerblock Jrs, like I was on the 301. Both decks have a Kokomo bearing. Same cork underlay and Herbie's Way Excellent mats. Only differences in the set-ups are the deck and plinth.
Wow. What a difference. The new sub-plinth seems to have done the trick - as the 401 now sounds better than my 301. Total flip-flop. Same arm, same cart, new sound - in a word - Clarity. Everything is crisper, more defined, more dynamic. Vibrant. Toe-tapping. So much as I can tell so far, the rumble I had heard before has disappeared. There is no motor noise unless I put my ear directly on the plinth. On the downside, there is a bit more surface noise on the same LPs I was playing last week - but I am sure it was just being smeared on the 301.
This is now an arms race, of sorts.
First - I am now more tempted than ever by the Jelco 750L. I bet this would up the ante quite a bit on the 401.
Second - I have to figure out what is holding back the 301. First off, I will have to undo my "light-bulb fix" to reduce the line voltage (since it runs fast with out it). I have heard this can have an effect on the dynamics, so that is the cheap and easy thing to address - just have to find a good machinist to turn down the pulley to a correct diameter. Then, if that doesn’t really address it - I will have to make a Baltic Birch or Slate plinth. My bet is that once I sort gettting the pulley turned down, the lions share of the difference is the plinth. I would bet that with a top-notch BB plinth, the 301 would kick the 401. And then the 401 in a slate plinth would kick the 301. Arms race: Plinth Wars.
Liguus fasciatus (Muller, 1774) - tree snails from Cuba. (public display, Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Sanibel Island, Florida, USA)
The gastropods (snails & slugs) are a group of molluscs that occupy marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments. Most gastropods have a calcareous external shell (the snails). Some lack a shell completely, or have reduced internal shells (the slugs & sea slugs & pteropods). Most members of the Gastropoda are marine. Most marine snails are herbivores (algae grazers) or predators/carnivores.
Liguus fasciatus is a land snail in Florida and Cuba that has an attractive, colorful shell. Over 120 nominal subspecies have been described, some of which are extinct from the activities of shell collectors.
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From museum signage:
Once abundant in the hardwood trees in "hammocks" throughout southern Florida, the brightly-colored Liguus snails have almost disappeared due to the destruction of their habitats. Over 54 color forms, or "subspecies", have been described.
"Ligs", as they are popularly known among conchologists, prefer to live on the trunks and branches of smooth-barked trees, such as the gumbo limbo, the Jamaica dogwood and the wild tamarind, Lysiloma. Sinistrally coiled, or "left-handed" specimens are very rare. Heavy growths of fungi and lichens serve as their food. Winter freezes will kill them.
Enemies of these snails include birds, the introduced European rats, beetles and illicit shell collectors. Liguus are prolific breeders, but their main danger comes from fires, hurricanes, pollution and the cutting down of their preferred trees. Transplanted colonies now extinct in the Lower Florida Keys, are now surviving in the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
When early naturalists [in the 1800s], like Titian R. Peale and Charles T. Simpson, explored southern Florida, they found the Liguus tree snails abundant in all the hardwood "hammocks" and along most of the Lower Florida Keys. Past hurricanes had spread this species to almost every area in southern Florida, except in pine forests, watery swamps and where severe freezes occurred.
In less than 150 years, man-made fires, new roads, tree-clearing and commercial farming have made many of the subspecies and unique color forms extinct. Shell collectors reduced the numbers of some colonies and mixed various forms, thus producing new hybrids. Thanks to wildlife sanctuaries, many populations of color forms still survive today.
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Classification: Animalia, Mollusca, Gastropoda, Pulmonata, Orthalicidae
Locality: [former] Oriente Province, eastern Cuba
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More info. at:
and
Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe (English: National Park The Hoge Veluwe) is a Dutch national park in the province of Gelderland near the cities of Ede, Arnhem and Apeldoorn. It is approximately 55 square kilometers in area, consisting of heathlands, sand dunes, and woodlands. It is situated in the Veluwe, the area of the largest terminal moraine in the Netherlands. Most of the landscape of the park and the Veluwe was created during the last Ice Age. The alternating sand dune areas and heathlands may have been caused by human utilization of the surrounding lands. The park forms one of the largest continuous nature reserves in the Netherlands.
The park was established by Anton Kröller and his wife Helene Kröller-Müller. Anton Kröller, a successful businessman, bought the estate in 1909. Up until 1923 the park was under construction with wildlife being imported and the building of the hunting lodge and fences. The hunting residence is called St. Hubertus Hunting Lodge after St. Hubertus and was designed by prominent Dutch architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage. Helene Kröller-Müller was an art collector and work had begun on a museum inside the park.
Due to worsening economic conditions the building of the museum was halted and the couple found themselves unable to keep the park. In 1935 the art collection was donated to the State of the Netherlands, which then continued to build the Kröller-Müller Museum. The park was handed over to a foundation, which received a loan from the State.
The park is surrounded by fences. These, combined with the required entrance fee, lead to years of protests by cyclists and hikers who were forced to either pay the fee or otherwise make lengthy detours. In 2007 a solution was reached by charging reduced fees for cyclists who spend only a limited amount of time within the confines of the park.[2][3] There are three entrances, located at the villages of Otterlo, Hoenderloo and Schaarsbergen.
There are several notable buildings inside the park. The Kröller-Müller Museum houses the art collection of the Kröller-Müller couple and includes numerous important works by artists such as Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Odilon Redon, Georges-Pierre Seurat, Auguste Rodin and Piet Mondrian among others. A second museum, Museonder, can be found at the park's visitor centre and focuses on the geology and biology of the Veluwe. Finally there is the aforementioned hunting residence which was designed by Hendrik Petrus Berlage.
A bicycle sharing system in the park makes bicycles available for free to visitors, with much of the area being inaccessible by car.
Pile burning at Morris Wetland Management District in Minnesota helps to reduce fuel and vegetation buildup (2016). Phil Millette, FWS
Flemington & Kensington Conservation Study 1985 survey images: 68 sheets of Kodak colour negatives (reduced for Flickr)
Today, 2 September 2020, as part of a crackdown on serious crime, officers from GMP's Salford District worked in collaboration with GMP's Special Operations Branch, Drone Unit, Joint Underwater Search and Marine Unit team and Special Constabulary, as well as Salford Council’s Regulatory Services and Registered Housing Provider Salix Homes.
As part of the planned activity, officers executed a warrant at an address in Kersal, Salford.
Officers also conducted a weapon sweep of the surrounding area - which included the River Irwell - and recovered a bread knife and a screwdriver. Alongside the weapons, officers also seized a suspected stolen vehicle.
The weapon sweep was executed as part of Operation Sycamore - GMP’s response to tackling serious violent crime, with a particular interest in knife crime. One of the aims of the operation is to understand the causes of knife crime in the younger members of our communities.
Another focus of the day was visiting addresses of note alongside staff from Salix Homes, letter dropping and checking the properties for off-road bikes in a bid to target the illegal usage in the area.
Sergeant Peter MacFarlane from GMP's Salford District said: “I hope that today's actions demonstrate that GMP will not tolerate this kind of activity and behaviour in our communities. We will continue to take a collaborative approach with local partners when it comes to tackling serious crime by preventing individuals from possessing and using drugs and weapons.
"Today's activity should not be under estimated as operations like this not only deter serious crime and antisocial behaviour, they demonstrate our proactive approach to keeping the public and our communities safe.”
"Serious crime can have a devastating impact on individuals, families and our local communities. In further efforts to combat and reduce crime, there will be an increased police presence in the area over the coming weeks as we conduct further planned activity.
“If you believe that weapons or drugs are being sold or used in your community, then please contact police.”
You should call 101, the national non-emergency number, to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response.
Always call 999 in an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, violence is being used or threatened or where there is danger to life.
You can also call anonymously with information about crime to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Crimestoppers is an independent charity who will not want your name, just your information. Your call will not be traced or recorded and you do not have to go to court or give a statement.
You can access many of our services online at www.gmp.police.uk
If you pass through Heybridge you won't fail to notice the huge warehouse built alongside the Chelmer and Blackwater navigation in 1866 for the Bentall agricultural works.
William Bentall came from a long line of yeoman farmers who were born and bred to the land. He designed a plough that would become the foundation of Heybridge’s main industry.
Bentall was farming in Goldhanger, just outside Heybridge, when he made his new plough for use on his own land. So successful was his design that he went on to re-equip his whole farm with them.
These ploughs were probably made by the local blacksmith but within a few years their reputation led to other farm owners asking Bentall to equip their farms too. In order to satisfy their demands, Bentall opened a small foundry and smithy on land opposite his farmhouse and demand grew so much that in around 1795 with the support of his wife, Bentall decided to concentrate his efforts on this manufacturing business. He enlarged his foundry facilities and launched the Goldhanger plough on the farming community.
The plough achieved a reputation for outstanding excellence and Bentall found the village of Goldhanger restricting his growth. Raw materials had to be brought by sea to the Blackwater estuary and then transported by lighter and road to the foundry.
Bentall found land available beside the recently opened Chelmer and Blackwater canal at Heybridge, just three miles away, and in 1805 the first buildings were erected on this new site. Raw materials could now be brought directly up the canal in lighters to his new works.
The innovation continued and in the year following the move to Heybridge William Bentall introduced the first steam powered threshing machine followed by a selection of other agricultural implements. Bentall never took out patents on his designs but relied on customer satisfaction to ensure the continued success of his products. The Bentall name stood for quality and his factory ran at maximum capacity.
In 1814 the country was engaged in the Nepoleonic war and due to the restriction on importing wheat from Poland, vast areas of land were being broken up for grain production. The demands for agricultural equipment was at a peak. Finding no problem selling the output of his factory, Bentall was becoming a wealthy man.
In 1814, William Bentall had a son Edward Hammond Bentall who succeeded his father to run the management of the business twenty two years later.
Edward Hammond Bentall had inherited his father’s aptitude for engineering and had been born to a period of intense engineering expansion leading to an insatiable demand for the products coming out of the Heybridge works. His mother had already seen to it that he was taught the workings of the foundry and was taught to make a ploughshare.
At the age of 22, Edward had an inquiring mind and a sense of adventure as well as having inherited his father’s engineering genius. These qualities led to business into rapid expansion after years of gradual growth.
In order to safeguard this expanding business in 1839 Edward began to trade under the name of E.H.Bentall & Co adding status to the name and in 1841, a patent was taken out for an “improved” Goldhanger plough to protect the product against imitations.
Another new design was patented in 1843 and that was the Broad Share Cultivator which was a tremendous success when it was put on the market. Sales of Bentall products had been mainly in the local counties but this new plough began to find markets throughout Britain and across the seas in the Colonies.
Expansion went side by side with demand and new buildings were erected at the works and more staff trained. The quality however, never changed and the Broadshare plough was awarded a gold medal at the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in 1851.
Edward Bentall continued to further improve this plough until it gained three first prizes at the Royal Agricultural Society’s show in Warwick in 1859. The word of its reputation spread and orders started coming in from all over the world.
The next innovation at the Bentall works was for the design and manufacture of a semi automatic machine to produce nuts and bolts. These were a large proportion of the manufacturing costs and Bentall built a new workshop to supply his own factory and an eager outside market. By now, Bentalls were producing a range of products which also included turnip cutters, root pulpers and oilcake breakers. Over the coming years the business prospered and, by 1870, the works were producing some twenty thousand assorted pulpers, cutters and cake breakers as well as the manufacture of a wide range of ploughs, threshers and reaping machines
In 1871, the products were modified to enable them to be marketed in Europe and Edward Bentall became a very wealthy man. Edmund Ernest Bentall started to take over the management of the business from his father, Edward, in 1889. Edward Hammond Bentall died in 1898. Edmund had taken over a very successful business now nearing it’s centenary and in the early 20th century, under his leadership, Bentall’s rose to the challenge of the new internal combustion engine.
A Bentall designed engine with many advantages over other designs became a very important addition to the work’s output. It was a slow running machine with small fuel consumption and was also one of the cheapest petrol engines on the market. Designed for ease in repair, the engines found themselves used for purposes as varied as driving chaff-cutters, crushers, pumps and even milking machines. The Bentall engine won medals at the great Brussels Exhibition and the International Exhibition in Turin.
Edmund Bentall was a keen motorist, the first man to own and drive a motor car in Maldon and set about designing a car that would incorporate a Bentall design petrol engine.
When he began to work on the design of the engine, petrol engines for cars were made with separate cylinders and he based his design on this principle. Unfortunately, by the time the car came into production, the monobloc system had come into fashion but it was too late for Bentall to change the design as all the necessary jigs and tools had been made. The new monobloc engines had a smaller bore than the Bentall engine which was put at a disadvantage when the new system of horse power tax was devised. The Bentall engine had a diameter and stroke very nearly equal and attracted a higher rate of tax and few buyers were to be found willing to face paying the heavy road fund tax.
The car was a costly failure to the company and although around one hundred were sold it was considered that redesigning the engine would be too costly and car manufacture at Heybridge was discontinued. The experience was not wasted, however, and Bentalls continued to improve the design of small petrol and paraffin engines and produced the first horizontal petrol engine in this country and sold many thousands. It was also the start of a large trade in the manufacture of valves and, from 1904, formed an important part of the output of the factory. Bentalls were pioneers in valve manufacture and went on the produce over a million a year.
E. E. Bentall was an innovator in other ways and equipped the factory with it’s own generator for electric power. The business also saw the increasing use of the railway because of reduced cost and the barges disappeared.
By 1914, the works was employing some six to seven hundred hands with the works covering an area of about fourteen acres. Despite the losses due to the failed car manufacturing venture, the business continued to prosper with the output of agricultural machinery expanding each year.
During the years of the Great War, a large proportion of the work’s output was switched to production of shell cases and many million were made during the four years of fighting. Women workers were introduced into the works as moulders and the shop was equipped with pneumatic hoists so that they would not have to lift heavy weights.
The fortunes of the company took a disasterous turn at the end of the war. An association of engineering firms was formed under the name of Agricultural & General Engineers Ltd and Bentall was persuaded to to merge his firm into it. Although Bentall & Co was the largest company in the association and the whole of the share capital was turned over to the new group the company had only one vote on the board.
The association did well during the boom years following the war but things were not looking too good for the future. The boom was followed by a slump and the association tried to counter the shrinking trade by launching further ambitious schemes including the formation of new companies in the Dominions. The association failed and the venture ended in total loss. Bentall, being the largest shareholder was hardest hit. All his money that might have used to put Bentalls back on it’s feet was lost.
Bentalls were in for a difficult time and had to start almost all over again. Sales had fallen to an unprecedented low and confidence in Bentalls had taken a severe blow. In 1933, E. E. Bentall purchased the ordinary shares of the company from the receivers of A.G.E.Ltd with the help of a little capital borrowed from friends and began the task of rebuilding the company. Charles Bentall became managing director with his father as chairman.
Some years of hard work were ahead but with the help of loyal staff who were prepared to work for reduced wages the business showed yearly improvements and the company’s debts were finally paid. Bentalls was prospering once more. The revived company played an important role in the second world war. Production set up for the manufacture of small machine parts for the aircraft manufactured by Handley-Page. The works went on to also produce complete assemblies such as tail fins and bomb floor for the new Halifax bombers and before the war ended some one thousand men and women were employed in the works. Also, because of the difficulty in importing food stuffs during the war years, output of agricultural machinery doubled to meet demand.
In 1946 E.H.Bentall & Co was recognised as a public company with Charles Bentall as Chairman. It continued to produce increasing volumes of agricultural machinery and valves for combustion engines. Although trade with the coffee plantations had suffered during the war the business was recaptured and rose six fold. Bentall technicians travelled to many countries advising on mechanised coffee processing. The works were modernised with more buildings added and, in 1949, a new foundry was built to meet demand for products. The year also saw the purchase of Tamkin Bros & Co of Chelmsford and the manufacture of their products switched to the Heybridge works. In 1955, the year the firm celebrated it’s 150th anniversary, Charles Edward Bentall died.
Thanks to it's about Maldon
Having spent many happy days in Heybridge where my grandparents lived as a child this building always stood out as a fabulous structure and well over a hundred years later it is still going strong!!! The Victorians could teach us a thing or two!!
ECHO’s partner Caritas manages the provision of nursing care services to the elderly living in the Dbayeh camp in Northern Beirut, the only Christian Palestinian camp in Lebanon.
In the photo, an old man takes a stroll down this quiet street in the late afternoon. He is being supported by Caritas nurses at home until he regains his mobility.
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Le partenaire d'ECHO, Caritas, gère les soins infirmiers prodigués aux personnes âgées vivant dans le camp de Dbayeh, au nord de Beyrouth. Il s'agit du seul camp palestinien chrétien au Liban.
Photo : un vieil homme se promène dans une rue tranquille en fin d'après-midi. Il bénéficie de soins à domicile d'infirmiers de Caritas qui l'aident à retrouver sa mobilité.
© EU 2012 Photo credits: EC/ECHO/Dina Baslan
OurDailyChallenge Taped
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These are the three prime tenants of waste reduction so when the garbage collector broke my recycling bin about two months after buying it, what else was there to do but repair it by taping up the cracked corner. (Is this the reuse aspect?) Any way, it has been retaped about four times over the last six years so its life has certainly been extended. So a bit of tape on my blue box gives me a nice warm green feeling.
As part of BC’s Skills for Jobs Blueprint, Government announces increased access and reduced waitlists for critical trades training seats by adding 272 seats at the BC Institute of Technology (BCIT).
Learn more: www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2014/07/more-access-reduced-waitli...
Paul Tarsitano demonstrating how to use improvised leg splint at his excellent Wilderness First Aid Course. The splint is constructed from a pant-leg, webbing and sticks or hiking poles. The webbing is threaded through holes cut in the pant-leg fabric after the poles have been threaded through. The webbing goes around the poles and through the slits (but not under the leg), much like lacing shoe laces. You can ask someone to sacrifice a pant leg or you can carry one of these pre-made from light-weight material (quick-dry pants) in your first aid kit.
Lots Road Power Station (Also known as the Chelsea monster) is a disused coal and later oil-fired power station on the River Thames at Lots Road in Chelsea, London in the south-west of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which supplied electricity to the London Underground system. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as Fulham Power Station, a name properly applied to another former station a mile upriver.
History
A power station at Lots Road was originally planned by the Brompton and Piccadilly Circus Railway (B&PCR, now part of the Piccadilly line) in 1897.[1] The B&PCR was controlled by the District Railway (DR, now the District line) from 1898, and was sold in 1901 to Charles Yerkes' Metropolitan District Electric Traction Company, which built the station to provide power to the DR. The station allowed the District line trains to change from steam haulage to electric. At around the same time the Metropolitan Railway built its power station at Neasden.
The station was built end-on to the Thames, on the north bank of the tidal Chelsea Creek. Construction started in 1902 and was completed in December 1904, the station becoming operational in February 1905.[2] The station burned 700 tonnes of coal a day and had a generating capacity of 50,000 kW.[3] At the time it was claimed to be the largest power station ever built, and it eventually powered most of the railways and tramways in the Underground Group.
The station was re-equipped and improved several times. During the early 1920s a sump & hopper system for more efficient fuel handling was installed. It was designed by The Underfeed Stoker Company and constructed under their stewardship by Peter Lind & Company, who still trade in London today. The modernisation undertaken in the 1960s converted the station to 50 Hz generation and from coal burning to heavy fuel oil. The number of chimneys was reduced from the original four to two. Between 1974 and 1977, with the discovery of natural gas in the North Sea, the boilers were converted to burn gas, with the option of oil firing if required. The station later worked in conjunction with the ex-London County Council Tramways power station at Greenwich to supply the London Underground network.
The station played a part in the birth of commercial radio in the UK. When the first two radio stations, LBC and Capital Radio, opened in October 1973, the site for their medium wave transmitters was not complete. As a result, a temporary 'Tee' antenna was strung up between the two chimneys (transmitting LBC on 417 m (719 kHz), and Capital Radio on 539 m (557 kHz)), until the permanent site at Saffron Green was ready in 1975. Some years later the site was used again, on 720 kHz (for a low power MW relay of BBC Radio 4's LW service) which was in use until 2001 when the radio transmitter was moved to Crystal Palace.
In the 1990s, it was decided not to re-equip Lots Road again; rather it was to continue to operate only until the machinery's life was expired. It was finally shut down on 21 October 2002, and since then all power for the tube system has been supplied from the National Grid.
Redevelopment
The property company that now owns the site wishes to convert the station into shops, restaurants and apartments, and to construct additional buildings, including two skyscrapers, on the adjoining vacant land. The scheme was delayed because Kensington and Chelsea Council refused planning permission for one of the towers. The other, Lots Road South Tower, actually the taller of the two, was granted permission by Hammersmith and Fulham Council, but the developer was unwilling to proceed without permission for the other one as well. On 30 January 2006 the Secretary of State granted planning permission for the development.[4] In 2007 the developer hoped to complete the scheme by 2013.[5] It has since been delayed by the economic downturn, and no revised date is yet available.
On 13 September 2010, Thames Water announced that they would be building their Thames Tideway super sewer. One of their preferred access sites adjoins the proposed Lots Road development site as shown on the Thames Water Website under Cremorne Wharf Foreshore. The consultation period ended in Autumn 2010.[6]
On 26 September 2013, developer Hutchison Whampoa Properties broke ground on the eight-acre site, rebranding it as "Chelsea Waterfront", with Mayor of London Boris Johnson speaking at the ceremony. The £1bn scheme will be "the biggest riverside development on the north bank [of the Thames] for over 100 years", and will create 706 homes. New planning and design details were conceived between 2010 and 2012. The construction for Phase One (100 apartments) is expected to be completed in 2015/16, and phase two, which includes the power station itself, in 2017/8.
“During the rains, the haffir filled up. Many years we have water shortages but we do not think this will dry up before the rains come again," says Halima. As rainfall patterns become more erratic, haffirs, which collect and filter the rain, will help to ensure that women do not carry an unfair burden of climate change. Before this haffir was rehabilitated, women would have to collect water from neighbouring villages, often 10-12km away. The drudgery of this essential task has been drastically reduced. With access to this water source, what once took a whole day can now be completed in an hour. Some 700 families benefit from this technology, which represents the main water source in the area.
Photograph: Practical Action
Find out more about how DFID is tackling climate change at:
the iliveisl sim, Enercity Park, goes away shortly after these pics were taken. it was one of only 100 or so remaining openspace sims.
it had been 3750 prims but when Linden Lab poorly executed their change in policy and pricing and went from $75 to $95 per month and from 3750 prims to 750 prims, this became the most expensive type of land isl
but i promised my residents that Enercity would have a park so kept it until the estate was transferred to the very best residents in all of second life
the park was the closest to a home that Ener Hax had. two sparse fallout shelters would become Ener's homes
one just a bare mattress and cardboard boxes to reduce drafts from broken windows and had and old turret slowly rotating that stood as a silent sentinel to bygone eras when we humans could have taken a lesson from our own avatars and the other a small emergency shelter for the bus stop
the lake in the park was called Butterfly Lake from its shape when viewed from the air and had a swan and ducklings swimming and a nice bench for friends to sit and visit under a weeping willow. near that spot was an old underground shelter to park military vehicles. that spot became an underground skatepark and was connected to the city's catacombs. these catacombs, like in Paris, ran below the city streets
zombies lived in one section near a small graveyard. no one knew why zombies were there, some suspect it was related to the war time bunkers. the manhole cover near the zombies was opened and the catacombs tagged with "i <3 ener hax" and "subQuark sux"
the most favourite spot for Ener Hax was near the bus stop and the 1950's era rotating and steaming coffee billboard (hmm, maybe the chemical smoke from that big coffee cup is to blame for the zombies? after all, the "steam" does drift over the grave yard
the fave spot looked over the smaller lake west of the bus stop and was in view of one of the parks two waterfalls. that spot was made very special because of Mr. Bunny. Ener loved to sit on the ground and just watch Mr. Bunny hop around and doze occasionally. what a cute bunny =) he even had his own carrots planted by Ener
high above the eastern part of the park was the huge zebra striped zeppelin. a bit of a trademark of the iliveisl estate
it was a lovely spot, even had tai chi on the big bunker and a zip line from the water tower
ooh, the water tower! as a surprise gift, DreamWalker scripted the water tower and turned it int a funky hang out spot. there was an abandoned pool inside the tower (???) and place to sit and talk. even a cute ladybug called it home. the water tower's top would slide up and down and also turn invisible. for romance, a moon beam came through the towers top port and could even have its brightness changed
even though the park was outrageously expensive, it was Ener Hax and Mr. Bunnies home and will be sincerely missed
namas te
Lion. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park/ Kalahari Desert. South Africa. Nov/2019
Lion
The lion (Panthera leo) is a species in the family Felidae; it is a muscular, deep-chested cat with a short, rounded head, a reduced neck and round ears, and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. The lion is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females with a typical weight range of 150 to 250 kg (330 to 550 lb) for the former and 120 to 182 kg (265 to 400 lb) for the latter. Male lions have a prominent mane, which is the most recognisable feature of the species. A lion pride consists of a few adult males, related females and cubs. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. The species is an apex and keystone predator, although they scavenge when opportunities occur. Some lions have been known to hunt humans, although the species typically does not.
Typically, the lion inhabits grasslands and savannas but is absent in dense forests. It is usually more diurnal than other big cats, but when persecuted it adapts to being active at night and at twilight. In the Pleistocene, the lion ranged throughout Eurasia, Africa and the Americas from the Yukon to Peru but today it has been reduced to fragmented populations in Sub-Saharan Africa and one critically endangered population in western India
Source: Wikipedia
Leão
O leão [feminino: leoa] (nome científico: Panthera leo) é uma espécie de mamífero carnívoro do gênero Panthera e da família Felidae. A espécie é atualmente encontrada na África subsaariana e na Ásia, com uma única população remanescente em perigo, no Parque Nacional da Floresta de Gir, Gujarat, Índia. Foi extinto na África do Norte e no Sudoeste Asiático em tempos históricos, e até o Pleistoceno Superior, há cerca de 10 000 anos, era o mais difundido grande mamífero terrestre depois dos humanos, sendo encontrado na maior parte da África, em muito da Eurásia, da Europa Ocidental à Índia, e na América, do Yukon ao México. É uma dos quatro grandes felinos, com alguns machos excedendo 250 quilogramas em peso, sendo o segundo maior felino recente depois do tigre.
A pelagem é unicolor de coloração castanha, e os machos apresentam uma juba característica. Uma das características mais marcantes da espécie é a presença de um tufo de pelos pretos na cauda, que também possui uma espora. Habita preferencialmente as savanas e pastagens abertas, mas pode ser encontrado em regiões mais arbustivas. É um animal sociável que vive em grupos que consiste das leoas e suas crias, o macho dominante e alguns machos jovens que ainda não alcançaram a maturidade sexual. A dieta consiste principalmente de grandes ungulados e possuem hábitos noturnos e crepusculares, descansando e dormindo na maior parte do dia. Leões vivem por volta de 10-14 anos na natureza, enquanto em cativeiro eles podem viver por até 30 anos.
Fonte: Wikipedia
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park is a large wildlife preserve and conservation area in southern Africa. The park straddles the border between South Africa and Botswana and comprises two adjoining national parks:
•Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa
•Gemsbok National Park in Botswana
The total area of the park is 38,000 square kilometres (15,000 sq mi). Approximately three-quarters of the park lies in Botswana and one-quarter in South Africa. Kgalagadi means "place of thirst." [1] In September 2014, more than half of the Botswana portion of the park was sold for gas-fracking
The park is located largely within the southern Kalahari Desert. The terrain consists of red sand dunes, sparse vegetation, occasional trees, and the dry riverbeds of the Nossob and Auob Rivers. The rivers are said to flow only about once per century. However, water flows underground and provides life for grass and camelthorn trees growing in the river beds. The rivers may flow briefly after large thunderstorms
Source: Wikpedia
Kalahari Desert
The Kalahari Desert is a large semi-arid sandy savanna in Southern Africa extending for 900,000 square kilometres (350,000 sq mi), covering much of Botswana, parts of Namibia and regions of South Africa.
It is not to be confused with the Angolan, Namibian and South African Namib coastal desert, whose name is of Khoekhoegowab origin and means "vast place"
Kalahari is derived from the Tswana word Kgala, meaning "the great thirst", or Kgalagadi, meaning "a waterless place"; the Kalahari has vast areas covered by red sand without any permanent surface water
Source: Wikpedia
Parque Transfronteiriço do Kgalagadi
O Parque Transfronteiriço de Kgalagadi é uma grande área de preservação e conservação da vida selvagem no sul da África. O parque fica na fronteira entre a África do Sul e o Botsuana e compreende dois parques nacionais adjacentes:
• Parque Nacional Kalahari Gemsbok na África do Sul
• Parque Nacional Gemsbok no Botsuana
A área total do parque é de 38.000 quilômetros quadrados (15.000 milhas quadradas). Aproximadamente três quartos do parque ficam no Botsuana e um quarto na África do Sul. Kgalagadi significa "lugar de sede". Em setembro de 2014, mais da metade da parte do parque em Botsuana foi vendida por fracking a gás
O parque está localizado em grande parte no sul do deserto de Kalahari. O terreno consiste em dunas de areia vermelha, vegetação escassa, árvores ocasionais e leitos secos dos rios Nossob e Auob. Diz-se que os rios fluem apenas uma vez por século. No entanto, a água flui no subsolo e fornece vida para as árvores que crescem nos leitos dos rios. Os rios podem fluir brevemente após grandes tempestades
Fonte: Wikipedia (tradução livre)
Deserto do Kalahari
O Kalahari, Calaari ou Calaári é um deserto localizado na África Austral, com cerca de 900.000 km² abrangendo partes de Angola, do Botswana, Namíbia e África do Sul.
O nome é derivado de uma palavra em tsuana[2] e significa "a grande sede"
Derivada da palavra Kgalagadi, significa o lugar da a grande sede (kgala - sede; gadi - lugar). A formação do deserto é devida, principalmente, a corrente marítima fria de Benguela, que atua na costa sudoeste da África, condensando o vapor de água que vai em direção ao continente, fazendo com que as massas de ar cheguem mais secas ao mesmo. O Kalahari possui vasta área coberta por areia avermelhada sem afloramento de água em caráter permanente. Porém Kalahari não é um deserto verdadeiro. Partes dele recebem mais de 250 mm de chuva mal distribuída anualmente e possuem bastante vegetação. É realmente árido somente no sudoeste (menos de 175 mm de chuva ao ano), fazendo do Kalahari um deserto de fósseis. As temperaturas no verão do Kalahari vão de 20 a 40°C. No inverno, o Kalahari tem um clima seco e frio com geada à noite. As baixas temperaturas do inverno podem ficar abaixo de 0°C. O clima no verão em algumas regiões do Kalahari pode alcançar 50°C (por isso algumas tribos bosquimanas se recolhem nos momentos mais quentes do dia).
Fonte: Wikipedia
Under the terms of the Conventional Forces Europe Treaty (CFE), states had to reduce numbers of equipment held over agreed levels. There were several authorised methods available to states, UK opted for explosive demolition. The UK reduction liability was quite small, so reduction operations were limited. This one took place at Otterburn Ranges, where the Royal Engineers had great fun placing charges in the approved places on the vehicles to blow them in accordance with the treaty. JACIG (Joint Arms Control Implementation Group) inspectors checked the work and more importantly, the finished result to ensure treaty compliance. The tanks then started a second career as Otterburn Ranges hulks.
Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna
Botanical Garden in September 2007. In the background, the Upper Belvedere .
(pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Botanical Garden, ginkgo Jacquin, April 2005.
Botanical Garden, succulents, outdoor area, April 2005.
The Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna (Hortus Botanicus Vindobonensis, HBV) is a botanical garden that was established in 1754 in the 3rd Viennese district Landstraße.
The Botanical Garden is a facility of the Faculty of Life Sciences at the University of Vienna. It is approximately 8 acres and is home to about 9,500 species. The tasks of the Botanical Garden include university research and teaching, the conservation of endangered plant species and seed and plant exchange with other institutions. A large part of the garden, adjacent to the Belvedere gardens is open to the public and serves as a recreational area.
History
The Botanical Garden was founded in 1754 as a "Hortus Medicus" (Medizinalpflanzengarten) on 1 ha. To this end, Maria Theresa - at the suggestion of her personal physician, Gerard van Swieten - had bought at Rennweg a 2-hectare estate. The order for the planning and design got Robert Laugier (1722-1793), who was since 1749 in Vienna. After having taken place the acquisition of the property, Laugier became first garden director (a position he held from 1754 until his retirement in 1768) as well as first chair holder of botany and chemistry, chairs that had been created afresh.
It subsequently evolved into a scientifically oriented botanical garden, the plants were arranged according to the Linnaean system (Linnaean taxonomy). Laugier's successor as director was Nicholas Joseph von Jacquin (Director 1768-1796). At that time the garden was home for about 8,000 species, the area was increased to approximately 7.8 acres. Jacquin's son Joseph Franz von Jacquin became his successor as director (1796-1839).
From 1841 on, the open land following the English garden style according to the system of Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher, who was director from 1839 to 1849, was redesigned. It had been layed out an officinal department with 196 beds. 1844 the Botanical Museum was built. Head gardener Joseph Diefenbach continued the redevelopment of the gardens in the sense of Endlicher. Director from 1849 to 1879 was Edward Schimmer. At this time the to European Botanic Gardens new concept of the phytogeographical groups was developed .
From 1883 to 1890, the Jacquingasse was created whereby the garden area was reduced to about 6 ha. 1890-1893 was built by director Anton Kerner von Marilaun (1878-1898) the greenhouse plant with tropical house. 1904/ 05 followed the new construction of the Botanical Institute and laying out of the biological groups.
1930, the Botanical Garden was to the so-called Host'schen garden at the southern end extended (formerly private garden of the Hapsburgs), as a result the garden reached its present size of approximately 8 ha. The adjacent Alpine Garden remained with the Belvedere gardens. Director from 1899-1931 was from Richard Wettstein. At the beginning of the 40s under director Fritz Knoll (1931-1945) the Alpine Garden was recreated in its current area.
Due to bomb damages during the Second World War (more than 40 hits), the demolition of the Botanical Museum and the felling of about 200 trees was necessary. Up to the 1970s under director Lothar Geitler (1945-1969) took place the removal of war damages and the reconstruction of the collections.
1970 the Host'sche garden was opened to visitors. 1975 began the general refurbishment of the institute building (until 1992) and the greenhouses, Director 1970-1995 was Frederick Ehrendorfer. In the 80s, the experimental house were built and created new experimental areas. In 1991, the Association of the Friends of the Botanical Garden was founded.
From 1995 on, the rehabilitation of the greenhouses was continued and the tropical house opend to the public. The Canaries group was built and expanded the group of the Austrian flora. Michael Hesse (1995-1997) was followed by Tod Stuessy (1995-2005) as director, since January 2006, Michael Kiehn is director of the botanical garden.
The garden collections include:
Abies pinsapo
Aesculus pavia
Cephalotaxus harringtonia
Diospyros lotus
Elaeagnus angustifolia
Ephedra
Ficus carica
Ginkgo biloba
Gunnera chilensis
+Laburnocytisus adamii
Liriodendron tulipifera
Magnolia
Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Graves of Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin and Joseph Franz von Jacquin on the grounds
Nothofagus antarctica
Ostrya carpinifolia
Parrotia persica
Paulownia tomentosa
Phyllostachys viridiglaucescens
Pinus aristata
Platanus orientalis
Poncirus trifoliata
Prunus tenella
Rhododendron
Salvia
Sequoiadendron giganteum
Syringa
Viburnum
Vitis riparia
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botanischer_Garten_der_Universit%C3...
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Jan. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
Chrysler Pacifica minivan posts best December sales ever
Ram Truck brand records full-year sales increase in 2017 versus 2016
A 42 percent year-over-year decline in fleet sales for December is in line with the FCA US strategy to reduce sales to the daily rental segment
FCA US LLC today reported sales of 171,946 units, an 11 percent decrease compared with sales in December 2016 (192,519 units).
In December, retail sales of 150,772 units were down 3 percent compared with the same month in 2016 and represented 88 percent of total sales. In line with FCA's strategy to reduce sales to the daily rental segment, fleet sales of 21,174 units were down, as expected, 42 percent year over year. The largest planned volume reduction in December fleet sales came from the Jeep® brand, which reduced its fleet sales number by 75 percent year over year. Fleet sales represented 12 percent of total FCA US December sales.
The Chrysler Pacifica minivan posted an 8 percent year-over-year increase for its best December sales ever. The Fiat 124 Spider recorded its best December sales as well. Other FCA US vehicles posting year-over-year sales increases in the month of December were the Chrysler 300, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Jeep Compass and Ram ProMaster City.
Chrysler Brand
Chrysler brand sales were up 3 percent in December, compared with the same month a year ago. Both the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and the Chrysler 300 full-size sedan posted sales increases in December. Sales of the 300 were up 60 percent for its best December sales since 2012. For the second-consecutive year, the Pacifica captured both the Minivan and Family Vehicle Best Buy awards from the automotive editors at Consumer Guide Automotive.
Jeep Brand
Jeep Compass, Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee delivered year over year increases for December. Sales of the Cherokee were up 18 percent in December, compared with the same month a year ago. The 2018 Jeep Wrangler has earned a Residual Value Award from ALG, the industry benchmark for residual values and depreciation data, in the Off-road Utility segment.
For the full year, Jeep Grand Cherokee sales increased 13 percent, compared with sales in 2016.
FIAT Brand
Sales of the Fiat 124 Spider were up 15 percent year over year for its best December sales ever. For the second-consecutive year, the 124 Spider took home a Best Buy award in the Sporty Performance Car category from Consumer Guide Automotive.
Dodge Brand
The Dodge Durango full-size SUV posted its best full year of sales since 2006. The Durango – for the sixth-consecutive year – earned the Best Buy award in the Large SUV category from Consumer Guide Automotive. In addition, Strategic Vision named the Dodge Charger to its "Most Loved Vehicles in America" list for the fourth-consecutive year.
Ram Truck Brand
Ram Truck brand sales were up year over year in 2017 versus 2016. In addition, sales of the Ram pickup truck edged up year over year in 2017 versus the previous year. For the 10th-consecutive year, the Ram pickup captured the Best Buy award for Large Pickup Truck from Consumer Guide Automotive.
Alfa Romeo Brand
Alfa Romeo brand sales of 2,034 units were up significantly compared with the same month a year ago and recorded its strongest monthly sales of 2017. Furthermore, Motor Trend named the Alfa Romeo Giulia as its 2018 Car of the Year, best representing exceptional value, superiority in its class and impact on the automotive scene.
FCA US LLC Sales Summary December 2017
TOTAL SALES FCA US LLC 2017: 2,059,376
Method of Determining FCA US LLC's Monthly Sales. FCA US's reported vehicle sales represent unit sales of vehicles to retail customers, deliveries of vehicles to fleet customers and to others such as FCA US's employees and retirees as well as vehicles used for marketing. Most of these reported sales reflect retail sales made by dealers out of their own inventory of vehicles previously purchased by them from FCA US. Reported vehicle units sales do not correspond to FCA US's reported revenues, which are based on FCA US's sale and delivery of vehicles, and typically recognized upon shipment to the dealer or end customer. As announced on July 26, 2016, FCA US has modified its methodology for monthly sales reporting as follows:
Sales to retail customers by dealers in the U.S. are derived from the New Vehicle Delivery Report ("NVDR") system and are determined as the sum of (A) all sales recorded by dealers during the month net of all unwound transactions recorded to the end of that month (whether the original sale was recorded in the current month or any prior month); plus (B) all sales of vehicles during that month attributable to past unwinds that had previously been reversed in determining monthly sales (in the current or prior months).
Fleet sales are recorded upon the shipment of the vehicle by FCA US to the customer or end user.
Other retail sales are recorded either (A) when the sale is recorded in the NVDR system (for sales by dealers in Puerto Rico and limited sales made through distributors that submit NVDRs in the same manner as for sales by U.S. dealers) or (B) upon receipt of a similar delivery notification (for vehicles for which NVDRs are not entered such as vehicles for FCA employees).
About FCA US LLC
FCA US LLC is a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It designs, manufactures, and sells or distributes vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo brands, as well as the SRT performance designation. The Company also distributes Mopar and Alfa Romeo parts and accessories. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler Corp., established in 1925 by industry visionary Walter P. Chrysler and Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (F.I.A.T.), founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli. FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA).
FCA, the seventh-largest automaker in the world based on total annual vehicle sales, is an international automotive group. FCA is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA."
The Bottagra Brunch with Oscar G and friends took over Saturday “Daylife” at The Pool Harrah’s Atlantic City, NJ on Saturday July 29, 2017 Photo: Tom Briglia & Mike Manger
The Pool After Dark inside Harrah's Resort Atlantic City, NJ | Celebrating a birthday, bachelor, or bachelorette party? For FREE or Reduced Admission, VIP, or Bottle Service to Atlantic City's top nightlife destination, get on the nightclub guest list at www.gocoastalac.com.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, Lakeside Ranger District Forester Anita Thompson reveals tree infestation, by peeling the bark from a Ponderosa Pine tree and showing, in the bark, Mountain Pine Beetle, Red Turpentine beetle, and Flathead borers (seen), at the Fleming timber sale near Lakeside, AZ, on Dec 6, 2018.
This is part of the broader Four Forest Restoration Initiative, which is intended to treat more than 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest across northern Arizona.
Current activity includes the use of a feller buncher to cut and then stack trees. A feller buncher then drags the trees to a worksite. There the tree branches are removed in seconds, and the delimbed tree trunk is cut to the desired length for sale by the contractor to lumber mills. The disposition of treetops and tree logs too big for the mill remain the contractor's responsibility. Post-harvest piling of slash/branches/brush are burned when fuels have cured, and weather conditions allow The ultimate goal of the timber sale is to improve forest health and reduce the potential for high-intensity wildfires that could threaten lives, property, and natural resources. The Four Forest Restoration Initiative seeks to increase resilience in the fire-adapted ponderosa pine forest by reducing tree stand densities to a more historical level, which eventually reduces the potential for uncharacteristic wildfire. This work also offers greater protection for residents living in and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface, where developments and forested areas merge.
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
For more information please see:
@usda
@forestservice
The Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) and its terminal operating partner, Enstructure, recently moved 4,500-tons of frozen poultry in a single breakbulk shipment. Shipping the cargo via breakbulk rather than as containerized cargo helped significantly reduce transit time from the U.S. to its final destination in the Caribbean.
The move was JAXPORT’s first large poultry shipment since 2015. The cargo, which was previously shipped via container through other U.S. ports, shifted to JAXPORT to take advantages of the port’s efficiencies and uncongested berths.
“With the high cost and low availability of containers, the exporters needed to have another means of moving the poultry,” said Enstructure’s Brian Hubert. “Going to the different container terminals was taking them roughly two to four weeks to get their cargo to the discharge ports. When we load, it’s there in two days. We can do it more efficiently than containers with larger volumes, making it more cost-effective for our customers.”
Enstructure’s skilled labor, which operates as Seaonus Stevedoring at JAXPORT’s Talleyrand Marine Terminal, loaded the palletized chicken onto the refrigerated cargo vessel Green Guatemala. An organized staging and loading process ensured a seamless transition for the temperature-controlled cargo.
“JAXPORT was an integral partner in making sure that cargo move was a success,” Hubert said. “JAXPORT has been extremely cooperative in supporting our operation to ensure a successful outcome for our customer.”
“Companies are looking for ways to get around the congestion at other U.S. ports and move their freight as quickly as possible,” said JAXPORT Director of Cargo Sales Alberto Cabrera. “JAXPORT is known as one of the most diversified ports in the nation in terms of business lines. This flexibility has kept us delay-free throughout the pandemic and allowed us to serve the evolving needs of new and existing customers during this time.”
JAXPORT is Florida’s largest container port and one of the nation’s top vehicle-handling ports. Located in the heart of the nation’s rail and highway network, Jacksonville offers same-day access to 98 million U.S. consumers.
Prescribed fires help our forests, grasslands, and other vegetation stay healthy. They create more diversity and reduce crowded, brushes that fuel wildfire. Through the Fire Learning Network, a joint project with The Nature Conservancy, Department of the Interior, and Forest Service with participants from a variety of agencies and cooperators, students gather to learn from each other and share expertise in prescribed fire management.
Photo taken by Lisa McNee, BLM, on May 2, 2018.
Aquatics Centre
for London 2012.
It forms part of the gateway to the Olympic Park – more than two-thirds of spectators will enter the Park at the south-east corner via a bridge that forms part of the venue’s roof.
The design and build
With a capacity of 17,500, the Aquatics Centre’s spectacular wave-like roof is 160m long and up to 80m wide – giving it a longer single span than Heathrow Terminal 5.
The venue features a 50m competition pool, a 25m competition diving pool, a 50m warm-up pool and a ‘dry’ warm-up area for divers. Construction on the venue began in July 2008 and was completed in July 2011.
The venue’s roof proved to be one of the most complex engineering challenges of the Olympic Park big build. Its skeletal structure rests on just two concrete supports at the northern end of the building and a supporting ‘wall’ at its southern end. This steel framework was initially constructed on temporary supports, before the entire 3,000-tonne structure was lifted up 1.3m in a single movement and successfully placed back down on to its permanent concrete supports.
Work began on the inside of the venue once the roof was in position. The three pools were dug out, lined, filled with water and tested, before they were fitted with more than 180,000 tiles.After the Games
The Aquatics Centre will be transformed into a facility for the local community, clubs and schools, as well as elite swimmers, attracting an anticipated 800,000 visitors a year. All the pools have moveable booms and floors to create different depths and pool sizes, so it can be used by swimmers of all abilities and experience. After the Games, the venue’s operator after the Games will be Greenwich Leisure Limited
The two temporary wings will be removed – reducing its capacity to 2,500 – although it will be possible to increase the venue capacity for major competitions.
The venue will also feature a creche, family-friendly changing facilities and a cafe, alongside a new public plaza in front of the building.